Budget Beer Advent Calendar – Days 1-4

A beer a day keeps the doctor away. I think that’s the saying. Beer advent calendars seem to be a thing now. In fact they seem to be all the rage.

I didn’t have £60-£70 to spare or a generous friend or relative. I decided to get creative and was inspired by a great find in a bargain bin at my local Spar.

The rules are these. Each day from 1-24 December I drink a different beer. It must be either: 1) Discounted in some way; or 2) A gift for something I have done to help someone.

I will try to assemble the cheapest, most varied, highest quality beer advent calendar known to man!

Days 1-4: An Eclectic Mix

Over the first few days I’ve visited Sheffield, Belgium, Peterborough and Brooklyn

Monday 1st December

The Beer: Kelham Island Easy Rider, 4.3% ABV, 500ml.

How the brewer describes it: A light easy drinking pale ale with a refreshing citrus zest and blackcurrant aroma which dances on the palate with the malty sweetness of Maris Otter leaving a satisfying, lingering finish.

The price: £1.00 (reduced from £2.40).

The source: Spar, Coltsfoot Drive, Horsham.

Tuesday 2nd December

The Beer: Kasteel Rouge, 8.0% ABV, 330ml.

How the brewer describes it: Kasteel Rouge is principally a “blend” of two artisanal, quality products, Kasteel Donker and a cherry liqueur. The beer was launched in 2008 and is the “fruitiest” offering within the Kasteel beer range.

The price: Free (typically around £3.00).

The source: I gave a colleague a lift to work for a couple of days and was rewarded in turn.

Wednesday 3rd December

The Beer: Oakham Ales Scarlet Macaw, 4.8% ABV, 500 ml.

How the brewer describes it: Tart gooseberry and soft peach on the nose. Gooseberries and fruit to taste, before an intense bitterness that’s as sharp as a macaw’s screech!    

The price: £1.72 (20% off – reduced from £2.15)

The source: Waitrose, Cobham.

Thursday 4th December

The Beer: Sixpoint Sweet Action, 5.2% ABV, 355ml.

How the brewer describes it: Through all of the madness emerged an undefinable beer called Sweet Action; a beer that your brain cannot categorize but instead speaks directly to your palate. Our senses and intuition sometimes trump rational thought. It’s Mad Science.

The price: Free (usually £1.99)

The source: A Christmas gift from my friend Phil, for being a good mate (ok, slightly dubious, but hard to find discounted beer at the pub – and I did buy him a 17-year old single malt as his present). The Lynd Cross (JD Wetherspoon), Horsham.

Running total

Total spent: £2.72

Normal price: £9.54

Saving: £6.82

Over the next few days we’ll be visiting Scotland and Germany and heading back to Brooklyn and Sheffield to see what else they have to offer.