Heritage Distilling releases advent calendar. Drizly's eCommerce network expands. share the holiday “cheers” with their vegan and dairy-free pals. ALDI now delivers drinks store-to-door. Caledonia Spirits has assembled a sweet set-up for gin lovers.

Getting into the holiday spirit(s)

If waxy chocolates hidden behind colorful cardboard aren’t your thing, perhaps a more “grown-up” advent calendar should be in the cards this year. For the legal-drinking-age adults counting down to the holidays, Heritage Distilling Co. released its Spirits Advent Calendar, which features 24 unique whiskeys, gins and vodkas in its limited-release “Heritage” line that aren’t available in their 750-ml bottles. Nestled in each of the calendar’s 24 compartments is a 50-ml bottle of these spirits that opens up a particular flavor profile for a variety of palates, including those with an inclination toward flavors like BSB – Brown Sugar Bourbon, Lavender Vodka and more seasonal flavor profiles, the company says. The Spirits Advent Calendar is available in select retailers in Washington, Georgia and Montana, and online for shipping to Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington.

Baby, it’s cold outside!

Apps that allow patrons to order booze delivered directly to their door are continuing to grow their reach as demand increases. Drizly, an app-based alcohol eCommerce marketplace, announced it added more than 30 stores to its partner base in Long Island last month. The expansion brings Drizly’s network to more than 1,400 stores in more than 100 markets across North America, touting the widest selection in on-demand alcohol delivery in less than 60 minutes. Partnerships with apps like Drizly, MiniBar, Swill, Saucey or Instacart can not only help local retailers keep sales up when the temperature goes down, but can also help them glean consumer data and offer more customizability than they can offer in-store to inspire experimentation using targeted recommendations, the company says.

Nut your average nogs

Fans of eggnog everywhere can now share the holiday “cheers” with their vegan and dairy-free pals. According to reports by Global Market Insights, the demand for plant-based milk and related products is slated to cross $21 billion by 2024, so it’s not surprising to find these non-traditional eggnog options hitting store shelves:

• So Delicious Nog made with coconut milk
• Califia Farms Holiday Nog made with almond milk
• Silk Holiday Nog made with soy milk
• Good Karma almond milk nog
• Almond Breeze almond milk nog
• Malk pecan “malk” nog
• Rice Dream rice nog

According to taste tests by vegans and foodies alike, the crowd favorite for flavor appears to be So Delicious Nog, with Califia Farms coming in first for packaging and presentation.

ALDI now delivers drinks store-to-door

On the heels of the grocery delivery services they’ve been offering since 2017, Aldi now delivers wine and beer nationwide via Instacart. Through shop.aldi.us, customers can select a wide array of award-winning wine and beer to have delivered to their door. “Our award-winning wines range from less than $5 for 90-point rated Evanta Malbec to $12 for premium offerings, such as 92-point rated Peaks & Tides Cabernet Sauvignon,” said Scott Patton, vice president of corporate buying for ALDI U.S., in a statement. “You can have a bottle delivered to your doorstep in as fast as an hour.” ALDI and Instacart are offering free delivery for first-time customers with code ALDIHOLIDAY19 through Dec. 31.

Pre-pairing for the holidays

Beverage brands are getting their goods ready for gifting, and Caledonia Spirits has assembled a sweet set-up for gin lovers. Its holiday gift set includes a 375-ounce bottle of Tom Cat Gin, a 375-ounce bottle of Barr Hill Gin, and a jar of raw northern honey to use in Barr Hill bee’s knees and the classic Tom Cat old fashioned recipes, which are printed on the box. Raw northern honey is the key ingredient in Caledonia Spirits’ Barr Hill Gin, a light pure-grain spirit distilled with juniper berry botanicals, and Tom Cat Gin, a whiskey-like dark gin aged four to six months in new American oak barrels.