Australian drinks purveyor White Possum launched its 2026 whisky and gin advent calendars, each packed with 25 unique Australian spirits. An annual sensation, this year’s releases feature original gyotaku artwork by acclaimed chef Ben Devlin, and a single golden ticket hidden behind a day one door, redeemable for a dining voucher at his award-winning fine dining restaurant Pipit.
Each year since 2017, White Possum head distiller Paul Peng has set himself the increasingly challenging task of finding 50 gins and whiskies from all over Australia, keeping the line-up fresh and exciting with a few familiar favourites along the way.
“We hear from distilleries that people have visited after first discovering their spirits through one of our calendars,” says Peng. “That is the best possible outcome: the gift becomes a doorway into Australia’s drinks community.”
From 1-25 December, a fresh 30ml pour awaits behind every door to surprise and delight dedicated booze lovers throughout their Christmas countdown.
Whisky calendar highlights include Outback Distilling Co’s Arid-Aged whisky, matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso casks in Outback Queensland; ‘In The Blood’ – a Kinglake Distillery whisky forgoing traditional oak barrels for an Australian red gum finish; a six-year-old Coastal Stone Single Malt made beachside by Manly Spirits Co; Cape Byron Distillery’s whisky-and-beer collaboration finished in ex-bourbon barrels that previously held Stone & Wood; and White Possum’s own Amaretto Cask Single Malt – a single cask production seasoned with the distillery’s signature Amaretto.
The gin line-up features Nosferatu Distillery’s playful Giselle Pavlova Gin, flavoured with vanilla, burnt sugar and double-cream; a hopped gin by Tasmania’s Ironhouse Distillery well-suited to boilermaker-style servings; a zesty Native Red Lime Gin created by Finders Distillery with red limes and red finger limes grown on the Macleay Valley Coast; and a sweet and refreshing rose and rosella-infused Arafura Gin by Northern Territory’s Speargrass Distillery.
A longtime admirer of Devlin’s gyotaku art, a Japanese printmaking technique historically used by fishermen to record their catch, Peng worked collaboratively with the Pipit chef and Devlin’s wife, graphic designer Yen Trinh, to bring the custom designs to life. A gyotaku print made with freshly harvested turnips from Boon Luck Farm adorns the gin calendar, reflecting Devlin’s commitment to working with local ingredients to create delicate botanical impressions that capture the beauty and impermanence of produce at its peak. The whisky calendar’s flathead swirl gyotaku was produced using sustainably sourced baby flathead from Northern Rivers Seafood, later served at the restaurant with grilled greens and bone sauce.
Adding another layer of excitement to the 2026 releases, one lucky winner will have the opportunity to sample Devlin’s cooking, with a single golden ticket hiding behind a day one door, redeemable for a $150 Pipit dining voucher.
White Possum’s gin and whisky advent calendars will be available from 15 October at whitepossum.com.au. The Whisky Advent Calendar is priced at $299 and the Gin Advent Calendar is priced at $259.
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