Keeping your beverage of choice cold in warm weather is one of the tenets of drinking responsibly. Afterall, letting a perfectly chilled beer (or soda) go to waste because it has turned tepid is just plain negligent. That’s why mankind invented the coozie, those ubiquitous foam jackets that keep your hops cold and marketing teams employed whenever they can’t find something more creative to slap a logo on. But for the ultimate drink caddy, there’s only one way to go: stainless steel. You’ll pay a good bit more (i.e. nobody is going to stash one in your gift bag for free), but a metal drink holder is infinitely more durable than foam, and the double-wall insulation means you’ll get thermos-quality refrigeration that will outlast the drink itself. Here are three styles to choose from.
Standard Cans
If you want to keep an aluminum can cold, the best way is with a vacuum-insulated holder. YETI
The vast majority of cold beverages are still offered in the standard 12-ounce can. If you only own one stainless-steel can cooler, make it a standard. The interior gasket will lock your beverage in place and keep it refrigerated between two vacuum-sealed layers of food-grade stainless steel.
Slim Cans
If you often drink from a slim can, you’ll need a slim insulated drink holder. BrüMate
For cold drinks packaged in today’s fashionably slim cans, you need a cooler designed to accommodate. These narrow drink caddies are perfect for energy elixirs, wine coolers, sodas, or any 12-ounce beverage offered in tall, slender cans that would otherwise rattle around in a standard can cooler.
Transformer Coozie
If you don’t know what size of can you’ll be sipping from, a holder that converts to hold anything is your best option. Toadfish
If you want a universal can cooler, maybe you need a convertible that fits standard 12-ounce cans but is sold with an adapter for slim cans. The adapter is one more piece to keep up with, but this style of caddy will handle just about any cold beverage you care to imbibe, in either 12-ounce cans or bottles.