(The Center Square) – Those who enjoy local Illinois brews can count down the days to Christmas with a beer advent calendar.
Luke Goucher of Lodi Tap Room in North Utica said the calendar is a box of 24 small-batch craft beers from Illinois brewers across the state.
The beers are not sold anywhere else, only as part of the calendar box. More information is available at IllinoisCrafted.com. The idea is to open one designated beer every day leading up to Christmas Eve.
The concept has caught on. The 3,500 Advent Beer Boxes sell out in the first few days of November every year. So don’t wait to order, Goucher said. As of October 30, the beer boxes were 70% sold out.
“Each brewery makes us a unique beer that is specific for the calendar. You can’t get the beers anywhere else,” Goucher said.
The 24 participating Illinois brewers love the advent box challenge because they can be as creative as they want when they brew their beers.
“They tell me, ‘I’ve always wanted to make this. I’m excited about it,’” Goucher said.
Part of the fun of the calendar concept is the surprise of finding the new tastes that the brewers come up with.
Just like a traditional advent calendar, starting on Dec. 1, people open one designated beer a day through Christmas Eve. Buyers can go online to connect with all the other people who are giving that day’s unique brew a try. They rate the beer and see what the other box buyers have to say, Goucher said.
“This is our 4th year doing the box and this is the best mix of beers that we have had,” Goucher said.
He won’t reveal too much about this year’s selections, but he did say that there are only three IPAs in this year’s box.
“There are two imperial stouts. For the price alone, those are a really good deal,” Goucher said.
There’s a lambic. There are brown ales. There’s a nitro beer. All of them are crafted by Illinois brewers.
A box of 24 beers costs $94.99 each at IllinoisCrafted.com. Choose a convenient brewery or tap room for pickup at the end of November.
Tap Rooms and breweries make a big deal out of pick-up day, with brewery tours and specials. In Springfield, for example, pick-up day is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 25 in front of Buzz Bomb Brewing Company More than 200 boxes will be there for pick up.
In keeping with the Christmas spirit, some of the proceeds from the beer box sales are donated to Toys for Tots.
“One of the best parts for me is that we make a pretty healthy donation to Toys for Tots, so we are helping families in need throughout Illinois,” Goucher said.
