To get into the festive spirit of things early Beer Cartel have the perfect advent calendar for adults, which swaps the traditional chocolate out for twenty-five unique Australian craft beers. Seven of which are speciality brewed in collaboration between Beer Cartel and some of our favourite breweries just for, and only available in, the 2018 Beer Advent Calendar. Get yours here!

Across the world Christmas usually invokes scenes on snow, mistletoe, warm hearty home-cooked feasts and a strong spiced Christmas ale. However, the Australian Christmas is a unique one. Scenes of steaming hot weather, searing sun, packed beaches, ice cold sessionable beer, fresh prawns, and a cold roast.

Here are a couple of beers perfect for a long day on the sesh in the hot sun this Aussie Christmas:

Balter XPA (Extra Pale Ale)

Country: Australia

Brewery: Balter

Style: American Pale Ale

Format: 375ml Can

ABV: 5%

It might be pale but there's nothing weak about this bad boy. Tropical and floral aromatics set off a fruity palette that will punch your taste buds in the pleasure zone. Finished with a refreshing bitterness the XPA is tailored for those who enjoy a fully-hopped beer that's still easy to drink.

Note: Balter beers are canned with 6 month best before dates.

Colonial Draught - Kolsch Ale

Country: Australia

Brewery: Colonial Brewing Company

Style: Kölsch

Format: 375ml Can

ABV: 4.5%

This is a beer for all walks of life to be enjoyed uncomplicated, naturally and honestly without pretence. It's not a gimmick, Colonial Draught is not brewed to match your tie or through the magic interpretive dance improve your social standing, Colonial Breweries crafted draught is a beer for the people and is comfortable anywhere, anytime from the beach to the boardroom.

Delicate hop flower aromas precede a palate so light, crisp and balanced that it's often mistaken for a pilsner.

Two Birds Taco

Country: Australia

Brewery: Two Birds Brewing

Style: Wheat Ale

Format: 330ml Bottle

ABV: 5.2%

The beer was inspired by a trip to San Diego where we lived entirely on a diet of fish tacos and craft beer! It's a hoppy Wheat beer brewed with coriander leaf, fresh lime peel and corn. It's fresh, zesty and dangerously drinkable. And of course, is the perfect pairing for tacos!

Winner Gold Medal at the 2015 Australian International Beer Awards.

Nomad Freshie Salt And Pepper Gose

Country: Australia

Brewery: Nomad

Style: Gose

Format: 330ml Can

ABV: 4.5%

This beer is the brain child of Leonardo and Brooks, after a few.... staring at the beautiful Ocean in Freshwater, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, the ocean mist and its fantastic smell had to be somehow put into a beer.... Why not add sea water directly to the beer and hey isn't salt what they add to traditional Gose in Germany??!!

A few months later here we are at Nomad adding two buckets of salt water straight from Freshie (Freshwater beach) to a Gose with a Nomad twist, and adding our new favourite pepper variety from Tasmania. The resulting beer is something along the lines of what the name suggests: salty, spicy and refreshing.

Ocho Flemish Sun Belgian Blonde

Country: Australia

Brewery: Ocho

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Format: 330ml Bottle

ABV: 6.2%

A bright & lively Belgian blonde delicately balancing spicy yeast and floral/fruity hop characters. "Pour is clear bright golden with a white head settling to a stable collar. Fragrant nose offers grainy malts, straw, peppery spices, floral and light citrusy hops. Palate follows the nose, bittersweet, orangey, with a bone dry somewhat spicy finish and a medium body. The restrained sweetness is a real asset in my opinion." - Rate Beer. 

Moon Dog Beer Can

Country: Australia

Brewery: Moon Dog

Style: Lager

Format: 330ml Can

ABV: 4.2%

Moon Dog's Beer Can is a Mexican style Lager. It features cold press tropical fruit juice and Falconer's Flight hop blend which was originally designed for US West Coast style IPAs. Within this can of joy you'll find grapefruit and peach fruit characters, and a beer you can quaff all year round.

Colonial South West Sour

Country: Australia

Brewery: Colonial

Style: Sour Ale

Format: 375ml Can

ABV: 4.6%

Our warm weather seasonal is brewed in Margaret River in Western Australia’s South West. Pale, Wheat and Munich malts build a light body with a hint of sweetness and we partially ferment this with a natural acidifying bacteria in the brewhouse. Ale yeast completes the job in the fermentation tank, adding a little extra fruitiness to boot. Hops from both hemispheres provide a vibrant tropical aroma, but with low bitterness to keep this golden sour light and refreshing.

Garage Project Hunnybee

Country: New Zealand

Brewery: Garage Project

Style: Saison

Format: 440ml Can

ABV: 5%

Hunnybee, a collaborative creature from the combined hive mind of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Garage Project. A glowing golden "farmhouse" ale - wheat, saison yeast with a lavish dose of Lavender honey giving a touch of lo-fi funk with bubblegum pop tart notes, overlayed with an eclectic blend of Saaz, Saphir, Wai-iti and Galaxy hops. Not what you expect, just what you need.

Hunnybee, there's no such thing, as sweeter a sting.

Brewed in collaboration with Unknown Mortal Orchestra to celebrate their 2018 Sex & Food tour.

Mikkeller Hoppy (Happy) Lovin Christmas

Country: Denmark

Brewery: Mikkeller

Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)

Format: 330ml Bottle

ABV: 7.8%

India Pale Ale brewed with Ginger and Pine Needles. "Pours pale gold with a lasting white head. Aroma of pine, grass, hop, flowers, light ginger and herb. Medium sweetness, moderate bitterness. Moderate body, oily texture, average to soft carbonation. Quality beer." - Rate Beer.