Gin Advent calendar

[Pipotle]

Saw these being quite heavily promoted in Sainsburys today. Is it just me or is this a bit...wrong? Isn't it unethical to promote people drinking every single day for a month as part of some jolly festive activity?

We have a huge problem with alcohol in this country and stuff like this is just normalising it. I'm all for people being able to choose and moderate their own alcohol intake, drink a bit more sometimes for fun but be aware and intentional about it. We should all be mindful about alcohol; it's fun but it's also dangerous. But for a huge retailer to provide the structure and the social go-ahead with this calendar to drink EVERY DAY just seems a bit much.

Maybe I am overthinking it but I'm just a bit worried at how companies are finding ways to profit even more off of people's excessive alcohol intake and send social messages that it's all fine and fun... Wine o' clock/time for prosecco merch everywhere you look etc.

AIBU?

I'm torn - I love a drink or three but I can see where you're coming from.
Like others have said, I think it's the fact that alcohol is just so ingrained, part of being "fun", it's normalised etc. You're accused of being a fun sucker or whatever if it's pointed out, or people feel they have to have excuses ready if they're not drinking for any reason (maybe they just don't want to drink?)
Smoking adverts have been banned, we wouldn't see smoking being glamourised or made out to be having fun in media anymore, so why for alcohol?

DH got a premium whiskey advent calendar once. He used to open the door every day and read about the whiskey but I think it took him about 2 years to drink them all. He would just have one occasionally when he fancied a peaty single malt or a bourbon or whatever.

Oh relax! Its just for December.

Ooohhhh! A gin advent calendar! See ya later suckers! grabs car keys and shopping bags

I get what you are saying about not having to drink them every day. I actually didn't realise they were only about 5cl I thought they'd be more like 35cl. But even still, taking the chocolate Advent calendars as a model, why on earth wouldn't the manufacturers expect people to drink them every day when that's what people traditionally do with Advent calendar consumables?

I don't think they can use the beauty Advent calendars as a defense as no mascara or lipstick or whatever is ever single-use, even the travel sized ones, whereas consumable Advent calendar contents traditionally are. What's the point of it being an advent calendar at all if it's not a daily thing to enjoy, people might as well just get a whole bottle of the nice stuff if the idea is to save them all up anyway!

But in any case it's not really the actual act of consuming 5cl of gin a day that I'm concerned about, it's the concept and marketing of it all contributing to our jolly-hockysticks-ritualised-alcoholism culture.

I promise I'm fun at parties 😂 if people can drink and have a good time and not let it affect their health and relationships then I'm all for it; I like to have a drink at parties or when I'm out for dinner and I've never had a problem with alcohol. But I also know far far too many serious alcoholics that get away with not confronting their own unhealthy drinking habits for far too long because everyone sees it as "normal". It can be quite hard to tell the difference in a culture like ours until it's far too late.

Reusable calendars are a great idea, and what a lovely tradition to have one for 40 years

My mum made it when pregnant with me. I’m now using it for my daughter

Newsflash: you don't have to drink the gin daily! Yes! You can give some of the mini's away, save some for say, travel, share with your nearest and dearest.

How discounted are they? I might have to drive past Sainsbury’s tomorrow 😊

You can give some of the mini's away, save some for say, travel, share with your nearest and dearest.

That’s likely as my youngest saving up her advent calendar sweets! 😁

I'm off to Sainsbury's in the morning to get one, don't expect to hear from me o the afternoon I'll have 7 days to catch up on! Hic!

Aren’t they different flavours so not the same as one bottle and weird to save them up for a tasting session?

I don’t agree that all consumables are for daily consumption as I don’t think you’d do that with ones like the cheese ones either. You might but equally you might save them up for a mini cheese board or that big Fortnum and Masons one with jars or relish etc in there. I think the calendar game has just changed in that respect.

The fun is opening then door and finding what’s inside.

I'm having a glass of wine right now, I have a makeup advent calendar, my kids have lol/playmobil/chocolate advent calendars, and even I see your point.

Advent is, after all, a religious occasion, not to mention the fact that it's promoting an alcoholic drink each day, in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ

Boots have sex toys advent calendars

I bought one for my sister. She loves it - all different types of gin and quite generous bottles (which for £60 they ought to be). It's a nice way to test out lots of quite expensive drinks without buying a big bottle and then discovering you aren't keen.

I’d say YABU. They’re tiny and personally, I think the problem with alcohol is quantity rather than frequency. I would have thought someone drinking a small amount each day is better off than someone who doesn’t drink in the week but binges at weekends. I say this as practically a tee-totaller!

I bought one for my sister. She loves it - all different types of gin and quite generous bottles (which for £60 they ought to be).

Looks at price, sets down car keys and sobs.

What is more unreasonable is the cost and all that plastic packaging.

I'm sure alcoholics are going to want more than a little sip of gin each day.

Happy christmas scrooge!

They're only 5cl bottles so just a small G&T. My mum got a lovely one from Costco that I'm sharing with her and dad. And like others have said you don't have to drink them on the day you open it.

T0tally that was the price before December - might be cheaper now

They're actually a really good way to sample different ones to see what you like. I had a whisky one last year and it was fab! I also didn't neck them as soon as I opened the window.

This Christmas appears to be sponsored by gin. It’s quite vulgar

I bought the Ginvent calendar one for £125 and have only had one of the bottles thus far! Like others have mentioned above, they'll be drunk as/when I want. No need to have one every day but I'm looking forward to seeing what I get every day and trying the different gins.

I barely even drink once a fortnight but I like trying new things, it's as simple as that!

And I have a reusable calendar which I usually use, which DH fills up. This year the Ginvent calendar caught my eye. I'm sure I'll revert back to that next year!

This Christmas appears to be sponsored by gin. It’s quite vulgar

Ho ho ho.... cheers!

DH and I were bought one last year. On the first of each month in 2019 we picked one each - it was a nice marker of the first year of being parents!