NORTH CENTER — Ready or not, the countdown to Christmas is on.
Bottles and Cans, 4109 N. Lincoln Ave., is once again offering its decidedly adult take on the advent calendar — a beer a day until December 25th.
Given the growing demand for the calendar, orders must be placed by Friday, according to Carly Katz, Bottles and Cans co-owner.
Simply send an email to orders@bottlesandcanschicago.com with the number of calendars requested. The cost is $89.99 each plus tax.
Customers can choose one of three options: hoppy, dark or everything, the last being the most popular choice, Katz said.
Listen to Patty explain what you get in the beer advent calendar.
Pickup, scheduled for Nov. 26 and 27, has been moved to Begyle Brewing, 1880 W. Cuyler Ave., which has more room to accommodate hundreds of beer-filled boxes.
See DNAinfo's Neighborhood Picks in the 2016 Holiday Guide
Katz said selecting which brews to include in the calendars is a balancing act between local beers, less familiar brands "that someone might not normally pick up," and available inventory.
Though customers are free to drink the beers in whatever order they choose, Katz said that certain brews fall on specific days of the calendar for a reason.
Super-sized high-octane bombers are slotted for Saturdays, just in case a getting drunk on a weeknight is ill-advised, she said.
In the spirit of maximum freshness, beers with less sturdy hops and brews such as coffee stouts, which weaken over time, have been placed toward the beginning of the calendar, Katz said.
Other beers actually improve with age, similar to wine, and those have been scheduled closer to Christmas.
New this year: Katz is adding a note card to the package so customers can keep track of which beers they like and might want to buy more of in the future.
"We have people come in and say, 'I think it was No. 3,'" Katz said.
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