Day 1: Mountain Culture Wet Bandits Oat Cream IPA

Woohoo - December 1st has finally arrived! Needless to say we've been chomping at the bit and are truly excited to share this with you.

Each day you're QR code will take you to tasting notes for you to peruse at your leisure, as you enjoy the beer we've picked.

If you're not able to fit the whole calendar in your fridge then our suggestion is to keep your Advent Calendar in a nice cool place. Then put the beer for the day in the fridge in the morning and enjoy when you get home that night. Make sure you use a clean glass as that will allow you to enjoy the full flavour and aroma of the beer.

A huge thanks also to Bryn Price (@BlueDoors) who has taken all the amazing photos this year.

Brewery: Mountain Culture

Location: Katoomba, NSW

Style: Oat Cream IPA

ABV: 7.4%

Beer Description:

We lied! It's full of booby traps! Muahhhahaha.

Merry ... December!

We were honoured that our mates at Beer Cartel asked us to kick off this year's Advent Calendar so we put together something special. Wet Bandits is packed to the brim with DJ's two favourite hops to use over the past 12 months. Citra is a favourite of many for the punch it packs in the form of bursting mangoes and grapefruit however Riwaka can be a bit more of an acquired taste that you may have noticed through many MCBC beers this year. Riwaka is by far DJ's favourite hop currently thanks to its complexity and unique spicy, herbal characteristics with the refreshing grapefruit and lemon undertones. We paired them both up in this luxurious Oat Cream IPA, with it's minimal bitterness and soft, silky mouthfeel to celebrate Christmas and the year that has been with you all.

Day 2: Deeds Brewing Lazy Summer Hazy Days Oat Cream IPA

Brewer: Deeds Brewing

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Style: Oat Cream IPA

ABV: 7%

Beer Description:

We made it all the way through to summer after a long winter and spring, so like us you’ll be looking forward to those Lazy Summer Hazy Days.

We present a 7% Oat Cream IPA with generous amounts of Strata, Citra and Centennial from kettle additions through to the dry-hop. The floral aromas and fruit character from those are beautifully rounded off by Malted and Rolled Oats, and Lactose.

You work hard and deserve to relax. Why not reach out and grab a cold tinnie. You’ve earnt it! Kick back and enjoy the hoppy, smooth, balanced Lazy Summer Hazy Days.

Deeds brewed this beer specially for Beer Cartel’s Advent Calendar.

Day 3: Banks Brewing Co Throw Pillow Marshmallow Porter 

Brewer: Mr Banks Brewing Co

Location: Seaford, VIC

Style: Marshmallow Porter

ABV: 6.4%

Beer Description:

A big dark malt base is where we start. Layered with numerous Chocolate malts, Oats & wheat. Lactose is then added for texture, mouthfeel & an element of Cream. This all provides the slick smooth coating for the beer. Then we begin the mallowing. Marshmallows added throughout the boil before being sent to condition on Tahitian Vanilla Bean.

The result is a dark, soft, lucious sweet stout that is not overwhelming in any of its elements but very rounded. Let it warm a little for the beer's true character and get all mallowed out.

Day 4: Garage Project Someone Special (Special) Hazy DIPA 

Brewer: Garage Project

Location: Wellington, NZ

Style: Hazy DIPA

ABV: 8%

Beer Description:

Brewed specially for Beer Cartel, this Hazy DIPA is brewed with 100% Kiwi malted barley and wheat, a double dose of Centennial on the hot side and then a bulging Xmas stocking load of treats in the dry hop, including Citra, Amarillo, Strata, Talus, Centennial, Galaxy and Mosaic. Massive citrus and tropical fruit aroma eases gently into a luscious smooth mouthfeel and a palate loaded with juicy stone fruit, fruit salad, grapefruit and a cheeky hint of resin. Enjoy!

Day 5: Jetty Road Dank and Stormy Black IPA 

Brewer: Jetty Road

Location: Dromana, VIC

Style: Black IPA

ABV: 6%

Beer Description:

Jetty Road Brewery – where we brew the good life into every beer we make in the hope that you’ll enjoy them as much as we do. There’s probably no better time to crack into something special with a mate or loved one than Christmas in Australia, when the days are long and the ocean’s warm(ish).

So with this in mind we were stoked to brew this Black IPA for Beer Cartel’s 2021 Advent Calendar. You might already be familiar with our love for brewing and drinking IPAs, which made making this one a real treat to bring together for you to enjoy during the festive season - as if you needed a reason to enjoy a Jetty Road brew!

Brewed with a love of all things summer on the Mornington Peninsula, a balanced blend of Centennial, Chinook and Citra Lupomax hops, and a bit of lime because.. why not, it’s Christmas!

Day 6: Kaiju! Beer Tangerine Love Machine Tangerine Sour 

Brewer: Kaiju! Beer

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Style: Tangerine Sour

ABV: 6.2%

Beer Description:

Unclick your belt, ease the seat back and relax with a juicy burst of tangerine tang. The 100% Pale Malt base, whirlpool addition of Mandarina Bavaria hops and San Diego yeast, allow the zesty tangerine and mandarin notes to fill your nose, and dance on the dashboard.

This KAIJU! Kettle soured chassis carries tangerine puree and Lactobacillus culture under the hood.

Much like the gleaming paint work, TLM is clean, with a refreshing, full and juicy sour finish.

Like the label says, ‘Ain’t nothin’ like it, it’s a shining machine!’

Day 7: Big Shed Lupo Wheat American Wheat 

Brewer: Big Shed

Location: Adelaide, SA

Style: American Wheat

ABV: 5%

Beer Description:

A clean and fruity ale brewed with concentrated lupulin pellets extracted from Citra and El Dorado hops. Vibrant lemon, orange, lime and orange blossom with a whack of pineapple, papaya, grapefruit and mango.

Day 8: Wayward Dreaming of an Amber Christmas American Amber Ale 

Brewer: Wayward

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: American Amber Ale

ABV: 5.8%

Beer Description:

Malt-driven ales make the perfect Northern Hemisphere christmas beers, but sadly they're not always the most appropriate thing for the Aussie Summer. So here's our spin on celebrating malt, while still delivering a crisp, hoppy punch that'll quench your thirst on a hot day.

This is a classic American Amber Ale; malt-forward but still clean and balanced. We chose Sabro as the primary hop for this beer as it's complex profile of citrus, stone fruit and creamy coconut flavours both complement the malt profile, while also providing length and balance for a refreshing finish. 

Day 9: Hop Nation St Nick's Nightcap German Hoppy Lager 

Brewer: Hop Nation

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Style: German Hoppy Lager

ABV: 4.8%

Beer Description:

When the legends at Beer Cartel got in touch for this year's advent calendar and requested something similar to our traditional German Pilsner Rattenhund, we thought why not make a version with all NZ ingredients, as well as a late dry hop addition to add a modern twist.

Firstly, we sourced all base and specialty malts from New Zealand Maltster - Gladfield. To keep the ingredients all aligned as possible we opted for Gladfield's own versions of the German specialty malts used in Rattenhund & in terms of actually processing the malt, we maintained the same decoction mash schedule, ensuring enough structure in the body of the beer to carry the more citrus and fruit forward characteristics of New Zealand grown varietals of the German grown ancestors used in Rattenhund.

As with Rattenhund, St Nick's received extended lagering to naturally reduce any harsh compounds and brought the citrus and stone fruit characters derived from the kiwi hops to the fore. Don't be misled by the name, this is no typical nightcap... but if anyone knows how to choose the perfect late night beverage its ol' St Nick, take his word for it & enjoy!

Day 10: Ballistic It's A Cracker West Coast IPA 

Brewer: Ballistic

Location: Brisbane, QLD

Style: West Coast IPA

ABV: 7%

Beer Description:

It’s a Cracker is an old school inspired West Coast IPA with some distinctly new world characteristics. At Ballistic we love bright, dank West Coast IPAs and felt that brewing an IPA with roots planted in both the past and present was a great way to showcase the evolving nature of IPA. Pairing a powerhouse hop bill with a refined malt grist we were able to achieve a malt profile that provides complexity and sweetness without detracting from the hop profile. Its assertively bitter, heavily hopped, and super moreish.

We’ve utilised loads of New Zealand’s latest superstar hop ‘Nectaron’ (formerly known as Hort4337) and paired it with old school US classic hop varieties Centennial, Chinook and Columbus. The results is a deep, aggressive IPA that incorporates plenty of citrus and tropical fruit upfront with layers of underlying dank, piney and herbal notes. containing delicate use of both toasted and crystal malts. The beer pours deep gold with hints of candy like sweetness and a dry, bitter finish and a lasting white foam. It’s an IPA in the format that we just love to drink – bitter, clear and hop forward.

Day 11: Hawkers Solarism Imperial Pastry Stout 

Brewer: Hawkers

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Style: Imperial Pastry Stout

ABV: 8%

Beer Description:

Solarism is an Imperial Pastry Stout brewed exclusively for Beer Cartel’s 2021 Advent Calendar, clocking a brawny, yet refined 8% ABV. We took some direction from a pastry called a morning bun, which is something of a croissant-muffin-scroll hybrid that has a sweet, flaky chewy inside with a crispy exterior and sugary, orange spiced deliciousness throughout.

Chocolate malts take the lead in the base profile, delivering on all the rich dark chocolatey characters that provide a nice foundation for the orange notes. The addition of golden naked oats to the malt bill provides a silky, rounding mouthfeel parallel to the sensation of eating a delightfully chewy pastry.

We’ve also added cinnamon to the whirlpool, lending a warming sensation on the finish of the beer and a delicate dryness to the mouthfeel with subtle flavour.

Best consumed at 12°, the beer will open up and deliver the fullest spectrum of flavour at that temperature, delivering a rich mouthfeel and massive aromatics, while the bitterness in the beer balances out the sweetness of the malt.

IBU: 60
Malts: Pale, Maris Otter, Chocolate, Amber, Dark Crystal, Midnight Wheat, Caramel Steam, Light Munich, Golden Naked Oats, Triticale Oats
Hops: Cascade
Additions: Orange, Orange Blossom, Lactose, Cinnamon

Day 12: Blackmans Simcoe Cryo Pale Ale 

Brewer: Blackmans

Location: Geelong, VIC

Style: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.6%

Beer Description:

A single hop pale ale, made using Simcoe cryo hops to show the power and glory Cryo SIMCOE! Huge pine aromatics, with light tropical notes with beautiful light back end malt balance. Cryo hops are a new hop that’s been created and processed in a way that they provide the brewer with a concentrated hop pellet loaded with all good aromas and flavours (oils and lupulin) you want in a beer. It’s a win for the brewer & the drinker!

The whole idea of this beer is so the drinker can single out Simcoe cryo hops and really get a feel and flavour for what they are. Being in a pale ale means the drinker can really dissect the flavours, pickup the nuances that a single hop brings to a beer!

Day 13: Nomad Gingerbread Milk Stout 

Brewer: Nomad

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Milk Stout

ABV: 6%

Beer Description:

Here at NOMAD we always love it when christmas rolls around so we can get creative with the Beer Cartel Advent Box. It’s a bit of a whole brewery affair as we put our thinking caps on and come up with something that will add a little bit of christmas cheer to everyone as they pop open our allocated day! We’ve got a mix of nationalities here at NOMAD so when we think Christmas we get a range of responses from prawns to egg nog! But one consistent thing that popped up was Gingerbread. Making Gingerbread houses was a memories for many of us here at NOMAD so we decided that we’d roll these memories into a beer and create a Gingerbread Milk Stout. With the addition of ginger and spice and all things nice we’ve created a little bit of Christmas in a can for you to enjoy.

Day 14: Mismatch XPA 

Brewer: Mismatch

Location: Adelaide, SA

Style: XPA

ABV: 4.8%

Beer Description:

A never before seen XPA from Mismatch.

Using the water and hopping schedules inspired from our New England IPAs, we heavily RO treated the water on our closed loop, zero waste water system, to round out and soften the mouth feel resulting on a super sessionable beer. We achieved a low IBU through low temperature whirlpool even with the heavy hop load of 2.8g/L making this beer even more drinkable. A massive hop aroma was accomplished through multiple dry hops through the fermentation at a hefty 18g/L - Massive for a 4.8% beer. Needless to say, the accounts team isn’t too happy with the brew team!!

This beer is for hop heads and novices alike, this is the perfect beer on a summer’s day.

Alc 4.8%

IBU 20

Std Drinks 1.4

Yeast House Ale

Malts Pale Malt, Wheat, Carahell

Hops Azzaca, Idaho 7, Kohatu

Day 15: Two Birds Berry Christmas Baby Salted Blueberry Sour 

Brewer: Two Birds

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Style: Salted Blueberry Sour

ABV: 5%

Beer Description:

Happy Day 15! You’re over halfway - only 10 sleeps until Christmas… that’s assuming you haven’t been cheating – in which case, Santa is definitely not coming!

Here at Two Birds Brewing, we’ve been dreaming of making a salted blueberry sour for a while now, so we jumped at the chance to give you this exclusive gift for Christmas.

Australia’s first female founded brewing company, we’re located in Spotswood, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne – and while 2020 was a tough year here in Victoria, 2021 was a real motherflocker. We figured this Christmas was the perfect time to brew a salty, blue and sour beer!

For those who like the beer deets, this comes in with an IBU of 15, and was brewed using Mystic hops. At a decent 5% it provides a nice festive buzz.

We like to develop sophisticated, approachable beers that can be enjoyed with mates at a backyard BBQ or on the dinner table with your favourite meal.

Berry Christmas, Baby!

Day 16: Foghorn Withnall & Rye ESB 

Brewer: Foghorn

Location: Newcastle, NSW

Style: ESB

ABV: 4.8%

Beer Description:

Withnail and Rye is a 5.6% ABV Extra Special Bitter (ESB) brewed and packaged exclusively for Beer Cartel’s 2021 Advent Calendar. Tasked with brewing a Pale Ale for this year’s calendar, the Foghorn team thought a little outside the square. In a market flooded with hoppy Pale Ales and Hazies we took a left turn and put a twist on a traditional British Classic - the ESB.

Using the best Ale and Crystal malts we changed up the grain bill with the addition of malted Rye that adds a subtle but characteristic spice to the back bone of the beer. More at home in German lager styles Rye malt has been popular in many Craft IPAs in recent years and we think it brings an extra depth and complexity of malt character to the ESB style.

As is true of the best British ESBs, we’ve kept the bitterness assertive and clean, balancing all the sweetness and spicy characters from the caramel and crystal malts as well as the rye. This keeps the beer balanced and refreshing despite the rich, chewy malt base. A Pale Ale with body, complexity and character.

Hop selection is another twist for Withnail and Rye. Rather than the classic British varieties like East Kent Goldings or Fuggles, we’ve blended 2 great New World hops to bring the fruit and to accentuate the spice of the Rye. Mosaic from the US brings its tropical fruit notes, and the NZ grown Pacifica addition adds a peppery spice note to the blend that works brilliantly with the rye.

Fermented with our house blend of fruity British Ale yeasts, the overall result is a balanced, full flavoured bittersweet modern Craft take on the Classic style. Best served around 6-12 degrees C. Pale Ale done different. 

Day 17: Akasha Ron McClane Cryo Pop IPA 

Brewer: Akasha

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Cryo Pop IPA

ABV: 6%

Beer Description:

There we go getting all sappy again…

Die Hard meets Parks and Rec in this Cryo Pop fusion of uber-fruity hop and ester flavour! Starring a secret blend from Yakima Chief that Hans Gruber would kill to get his hands on, this fun, sweetly tropical easy-drinker is the ultimate summer blockbuster. Ho, ho, ho…

Since we’re all going into the silly season with a hard-earned thirst for new experiences, we felt it was only appropriate to kick off the 12 days of Blissmas with a skyscraper-sized mash-up, and our brand new advent beer for our mates at Beer Cartel.

Say a big "yippee ki aye motherlover" to Ron McClane!

Imagine an explosive Christmas movie where a gang of machine gun-wielding international terrorists were undone in their efforts by the unyielding cynicism, anti-governmentalism and genuinely hostile sentiments of a moustachioed misanthropic middle manager, and you’re somewhere in the vicinity of where we’re coming from with this festive number.

What makes this beer so special, besides its bizarro-world immaculate conception, is the presence of Cryo Pop. We’ve taken our tried and true malt bill and made it positively drip with tropical flavour while maintaining a mild, easy-drinking smashability that’ll get people lining up around the block for a taste of the Ron, thanks to the masterminds at Yakima Chief.

At 6%, this is a fun, beautifully fruity beer with a delectable aroma and a finish as dry and satisfying as the love child of Bruce and Ron’s best lines from their respective star vehicles.

We can’t tell you quite what’s in it – the specific hops are as tightly a held secret as the access codes to the vaults of Nakatomi Tower – but we can tell you that you can expect a C4-grade bomb of tropical and citrus flavours that’ll have you saying ‘ho, ho, how good is this?” at Christmas lunch.

Snap it up, crack it out, and blow your thirst to kingdom come this Christmas with the sass and class of Ron McClane and Akasha!

Day 18: Modus Operandi Halo Hunter Belgian White Hazy IPA 

Brewer: Modus Operandi

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Belgian White Hazy IPA

ABV: 7.0%

Beer Description:

It's been the year of Hazys. But have you had a Belgian White Hazy IPA? After a big, wild, cluster-f&%k of a year, we think it's time for something surprising, delighting, tantalising. Ya feelin me. Introducing Halo Hunter Belgian White Hazy IPA.

At 7.0% this is a surprisingly easy drinking brew with an exceptionally pleasant balance between malt, yeast and hops. Candied citrus, tropics and orange on the nose thanks to a good ol' double dry hop of citra and centennial with some orange peel loaded in for extra measure and an undertone of spice and pepper from the elegant Belgian yeast. A soft and fluffy mouthfeel from the pilsner, wheat malts and rolled oats carries the strong citrus and spice haze. Treat yourself. Take it slow. Pour it into a glass to really treasure this liquid, enjoy the light spunky white head and the festive hazy glow.

Happy Christmas ya legend. You have deserved this! Thanks for supporting Aussie made and owned beer. Luv ya - Modus Brewing. 

Day 19: Slipstream The Grizzly American Brown IPA 

Brewer: Slipstream

Location: Brisbane, QLD

Style: American Brown IPA

ABV: 6.1%

Beer Description:

At Slipstream, our approach to brewing is largely inspired by the American beer scene and The Grizzly is a representation of this – a nod to the strong hop presence and malty richness commonly found in American Brown Ales.

For Beer Cartel’s 2021 Advent Calendar, we wanted to honour the Christmas spirit by offering something special - a unique drinking experience that is not available every day.

The inclusion of chocolate malt results in a beer that is dark amber in colour with roasted chocolate flavours that are comforting and rich. Untamed notes of citrus, pine and floral flood the senses from a hop blend of Cascade, Centennial and Citra.

With a bitterness that is intense like the striking beauty of a rugged forest landscape, The Grizzly American Brown is to be approached with caution, but truly savoured.

Day 20: New England Wolf & Fox Slovenian Hopped Pale Ale 

Brewer: New England

Location: Uralla, NSW

Style: Slovenian Hopped Pale Ale

ABV: 5.2%

Beer Description:

For this Pale Ale, two Slovenian Hops come together – Styrian Wolf and Styrian Fox! The aroma is fruity, herbal and floral before a clean body of fruits from blackberry to mango. A howling scream.

We were really excited to finally get to use Slovenian Hops. Slovenia is such a beautiful country and has a small but strong craft beer scene. The beer pours a glowing golden straw colour with medium high carbonation and a brilliant fluffy head thanks to a natural secondary fermentation in the can. The aroma is full of lemon and orange candy and a touch of passionfruit and mango. The body is dominated by dry white wine, herbs and an earthy grassy bitterness. The finish is dry with low levels of maltiness.

These two Slovenian hops have great classic European hop notes with an added fruity punch.

Day 21: Yullis Glenn's Negroni Pilsner 

Brewer: Yulli's

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Negroni Pilsner

ABV: 4.5%

Beer Description:

Glenn's Negroni Pilsner is a wildly ambitious combination of two classic beverages from opposite sides of the drinking experience. Saaz hops and Pilsner malt provide a clean base beer for freshly cold pressed bitter orange juice to bring some body and sweetness to the mid palette, whilst a carefully selected blend of herbs and botanicals get to work on the back end. The result is a fresh and dry Pilsner with a delicately herbaceous and bitter finish emulating the modern classic cocktail, the Negroni.

Brewers Notes: This is one of the most difficult beers we've attempted to make yet at Yulli's Brews. We went through a careful selection of some of the most prominent botanicals that feature in a Negroni. We then made individual spirits of each that we distilled inhouse and then through a process of trial and error found the perfect blend. The bitter orange juice that we used is particularly hard to come by, only being available for a very short period of time during the orange season. They have a far more bitter flavour than a normal orange, very close to a grapefruit. We think we've achieved a great balance between all of these ingredients where one is no more overpowering than the other, hope you enjoy it!

Day 22: Sunday Road Yule Fuel Cold IPA 

Brewer: Sunday Road

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Cold IPA

ABV: 6.8%

Beer Description:

A clean and crisp lager body, light gold in colour from the grist bill of Joe White Signature Plis malt and flaked corn. 4 different hops give layers of hop flavour and aroma. Cascade T-90 hops, along with a big load of Cryo hops in the form of Ekuanot, Amarillo and Sabro. Clean and sessionable for a summers day, with plenty of hops to keep the hop heads happy.

Day 23: One Drop Strawberry + Vanilla Nitro Milkshake IPA 

Brewer: One Drop

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Nitro Milkshake IPA

ABV: 5.5%

Beer Description:

Firstly, Merry Christmas! We’re all so glad we can share a beer with you. Our Strawberry and Vanilla Nitro Milkshake IPA is a true One Drop Christmas experience. To make the most of this, be sure to shake hard three times, wait 10 seconds , then open and invert into your glass. Enjoy the mesmerising cascade effect from the Nitro Pour. Take in the festive aroma of succulent strawberries and rich vanilla. Sip on the silky smooth and full creaminess body of the beer with its strawberries & cream candy character without forgetting a gentle bite of bitterness from fresh Australian Enigma hops. Pavlova not included (maybe next year).

Day 24: Boatrocker Tripel Blonde Strong Ale 

Brewer: Boatrocker

Location: Braeside, VIC

Style: Blonde Strong Ale

ABV: 9.2%

Beer Description:

We've crafted an ode to the big Belgian blonde ales that have so much character and finesse, while being dangerously drinkable. This beer is all about the yeast, and one where the yeast strain (Westmalle Abbey) allows the malt and ester profile to work in harmony. Ideally serve chilled to about 5˚C in a large goblet, allowing the aromas from the yeast to shine. 

Day 25: Sauce Stoutmas Mocha Imperial Stout

Brewer: Sauce

Location: Sydney, NSW

Style: Mocha Imperial Stout

ABV: 9%

Beer Description:

A beefy imperial stout with serious flavour. Not for swilling, this thick, decadent stout is infused with freshly roasted coffee beans (like, actually roasted on the day in the brewery), and chocolate, to round out the mocha character. Roasted barley and chocolate malts give the beer a black appearance, as well as a great flavour base of chocolate and roasty notes.

Munich, brown and crystal malts give the beer a thick and sweet back-bone. A touch of bitterness from Warrior hops (USA) and you have the perfect Christmas sipper.

Recommended drinking temperature around 10c will give the most punch to the aromatics and desert-like character of the beer.