You’re sitting at the pool and leave your beer behind for several minutes while you rescue a drowning kid tangled in a pool noodle. When you return, you are disappointed to find your beer has gone warm from the 100 degree summer heat. Sure you had a koozie to insulate your can, but we all know they have their limits. Has this happened to you? Of course it has.
Enter the Beer Blizzard, a Kickstarter project from the brains of Mike Robb and Tom Osborne of Cold Can Innovations, LLC. They have a small plastic widget filled with frozen liquid that fits snuggly on the bottom of any beer can or soda can. It’s effectively a fitted plastic ice cube. Did you know most cans have the same curved snape at the bottom? I’m not sure why that is, but these guys made the most of it. The Beer Blizzard fits snuggly along the bottom of the can and is secured by any koozie.
While any koozie works fine, I found the folding ones with a slot at the bottom are easiest to slide the blizzard for a snug fit.
So that’s all swell, but does it really work? To compare, I conducted a highly scientific test. I popped open two beers and drank them out in the blazing Texas heat. One with a regular koozie and one loaded with a Beer Blizzard. I set out my tools – a thermometer, flip flops, taste sensory device (my tongue), a pool, music, and a few friends. After analyzing the data, the key takeaway is you can’t collect good scientific data if you’re double-fisting beers and hanging out at a pool. However, even without the numbers to back it up, my taste buds (taste bro’s?) were able to confirm that there is a difference. The beer flowing from the Blizzard can did taste better than the regular can. I could feel a distinct difference in temperature at the bottom of the cans as I drank. The tops of the cans were equally warm – but that’s OK. In theory there’s no beer left at the top end anyway.
I have not been overwhelmed by this product; it has not miraculously made the beers as cold as frosty mug brews. However, it does make a difference and I found myself using them at each subsequent trip to the pool. The web site says to expect to get a few uses out of each frozen Beer Blizzard in an afternoon. Perhaps I just drink way too slow, but I found in the Texas summer heat, a Blizzard was good for about one can. Once I finished my beer, the Blizzard was cool but no longer frozen so I just reached in and grabbed another. They sell these in six-packs, and I’d recommend having a handful on hand.
Once your binge is over, just toss the Beer Blizzards back into the freezer to be prepared for the next adventure. I’ve also read they’ll work with beer bottles as long as you use a koozie. That may be true, but I wouldn’t know. I always prefer my bottles like my women. Bare.
Summary
Does it open? No, but it’s not an opener so that’s all for the best. If its freezing temperatures opened a crater in the bottom of your can, that could be tragic.
Can it do anything else? Spread smiles and cheer around a yard on a hot summer day.
Overall rating: (4 / 5). These dudes may not be miracle workers, but they make an impact, have a high novelty factor, and act as great conversation starters.
References: Beer Blizzard