Beer Coolers & Fridges

Beer coolers for every way you drink

Warm beer is a waste of good beer. The job of a cooler is simple, keep the drink cold from the moment you open it to the last sip, and the right one depends entirely on where you are drinking. A home bar wants a proper fridge. A hot day in your hand wants a koozie. A trip to the beach wants something you can carry, and a table full of guests wants a bucket of ice within reach. This is the full beer coolers range, sorted by type so you can go straight to the one that fits how you actually drink.

Pick by where you are drinking

Start with the setting and the choice makes itself. For the house, a beer fridge keeps cans and bottles at a steady serving temperature without fighting for space in the kitchen. In your hand on a warm day, a can cooler or koozie keeps a single can cold from the first sip to the last. Heading out, a portable cooler carries a stash of drinks to the beach, a tailgate or the campsite. Setting up at home for company, an ice bucket chills a round of bottles right there on the table.

How cold, and for how long

Two things separate a good cooler from a poor one, how cold it gets and how long it holds. A fridge wins on control, it sets a temperature and keeps it there for weeks. A koozie is not about cold air at all, it is insulation, it slows the warming of a can that is already cold. Portable coolers live or die on ice retention, the better ones hold ice for days in the sun thanks to thick walls and a tight seal. An ice bucket is the short game, it keeps a round icy for an evening and looks the part while it does it. Match the tool to the timescale and nothing you pour goes warm.

Serving temperature basics

As a rule, the paler and crisper the beer, the colder it wants to be. Lagers and pilsners are happiest around 4 to 7 degrees Celsius, while stronger ales, stouts and Belgian beers show more of their character a few degrees warmer. That is why a fridge with an adjustable thermostat is worth having if you drink a range of styles, and why an ice bucket or portable cooler is fine for a day of easy-drinking cans. Whatever the method, get the beer cold first, then keep it there.

Coolers make easy gifts

A cooler is one of the safest gifts you can buy a beer fan, because you do not need to know exactly what they drink. A koozie is a cheap and cheerful party favour, a portable cooler is a solid present for anyone who drinks outdoors, and a compact beer fridge is a real upgrade for a home bar, games room or garage. For more ideas along these lines, see our beer gift guides. Check the capacity and the size on each product before you buy, since a six-can koozie holder and a 60 quart cooler are very different things.