The days are getting shorter, frost is in the air and our favorite winter coats, hats, shawls and mittens have been recovered from their storage spaces. This can only means Christmas is slowly getting near again and as lovers of distilled spirits our eyes are automatically turning towards the captivating goods from Drinks by the Dram.

All year round they have over 5.000 unique spirits in 3cl sample format with whisky, bourbon, gin, vodka, mezcal, tequila, cognac and rum (amongst other spirits) you can select from, sold individually or in preselected tasting sets, good for many special occasions or just as a treat because you have been good lately. A brilliant way to enjoy something special for a fraction of the price of a full bottle. On top of that, at the end of the year a large choice of new and updated Advent Calendars and Christmas Crackers are announced – a perfect gift for the festive season!

Last year we had a closer look at the Whisky Advent Calendar and posted our notes on WhiskyWorship and LovingWhisky every day during the December month, and popped open a Cracker over Christmas dinner to share a dram each course. Another great way to make something special of the last remaining days of the year, and discover a couple of new whiskies. This year, Drinks by the Dram challenged us with something we are less familiar with, and gave us not one, but two calendars, to make our tastebuds go crazy. So, on the first 24 days of December, you will be treated with a double update at WhiskyWorship and LovingWhisky with a review of a Bourbon and a Cognac. These are the challenges we like! Let the fun start at December 1st, and enjoy Christmas dinner by bursting open a couple of good crackers, filled with crappy jokes and silly hats once more!

A lot of thanks to Drinks by the Dram for oh so kindly gifting us these treats to broaden our horizons. We will post links to the notes below here as well, as soon as we have tasted them on the respective days, but until then you just have to wait with us to see what is in the box. The list of samples is on the Drinks by the Dram website, if you are in for spoilers.

General information on the Christmas crackers and Whisky Advent Calendars from the Drinks by the Dram website. 

Whisky Christmas crackers
Instead of a tiny plastic trumpet or a deck of tiny cards, with these crackers you get a 3cl dram of whisky! Each cracker has a different whisky inside, so everyone around the table can try something different. Fret not – you still get a garish hat and naff joke, naturally. 

• party hats
• crap jokes
• detailed tasting notes
• 6 different, handmade 30ml wax-sealed drams

Bourbon Advent Calender
This magnificent Advent calendar is filled with 24 of the very finest bourbons known to mankind, from award-winning straight bourbon and complex single barrel whiskey.

• Explore bourbons from across America
• From boutique producers to world-renowned brands
• From light and creamy to rich and complex
• Award-winning bourbons from famous distilleries
  
• 24 different, handmade 30ml wax-sealed drams

Cognac Advent Calendar
This magnificent Advent calendar is filled with 24 of the very finest Cognacs known to mankind, from rich, spicy Fins Bois eaux-de-vie to award-winning Grande Champagne Cognac.  

• Explore brandy from across Cognac
• From boutique producers to world-renowned brands
• From light and floral to rich and complex
• Award-winning Cognacs from famous distilleries
• Try Cognacs worth hundreds of pounds per bottle
• 24 different, handmade 30ml wax-sealed drams

Copyright notice: Photos by WhiskySpeller