Don’t work up a sweat to keep your beer cold! People celebrate all stages of life with beers (after they reach a legal age, of course!), but keeping that much beer cold makes most of us wish we had a beer fridge. Check out these cost-saving tips to chill your beer on a budget.

Get a cheap cooler

It saves money for those large gatherings that everybody holds now and again—or every weekend, if you’re like some 25 year-olds. This trick yields the best returns in spring, summer, and autumn (see our seasonal winter trick below). You may need a sizeable freezer to store the ice for this one, too.

You’ll likely want to pick up a cooler either in the summer when they’re plentiful, or when they go on sale in the autumn. Then run to the nearest gas station or convenience store to grab a couple bags of ice. Bring a car, because you won’t want to carry them home. Strategically place the beer bottles at the bottom of the bucket, standing them up straight. Pour the ice in between the bottles and let them sit for an hour.

Give your bottles a cold bath

Even if you lack the space to store ice, you can use cold water in lieu of an extra fridge. Put the beer in a bathtub filled with super cold water, if you’re hosting a large party. You need a lot of water to do this, but the bottles get maximum surface area coverage this way. If you don’t live in an infamous “self-cleaning” residence, supply a towel so your guests can quickly dry their bottles before they make themselves at home. Remind them not to fall into the tub, unless somebody can capture it on video.

If you are in a pinch, you might also try cooling individual beers under a faucet with the water running. It’s a classic trick among freshman students; all you need to do is hold the bottle by the neck at a downward angle while the body of the bottle sits under the freezing water. While not at the cutting-edge of refrigeration technology, the bottle will certainly become as cold as your faucet’s water. Just be sure you don’t freeze your hand under the faucet—it needs to stay warm in case you plan on nursing that bottle for hours.

Leave it to nature

Use what nature has already provided to your advantage! In winter, you can actually just leave your lukewarm beers outside on the porch to stay ice-cold without paying a dime, while you socialize with your friends. Keep an eye on your stash to make sure nobody swipes it—just in case. Just don’t be that person that lets the entire case of beer freeze in the snow bank! Talk about a self-inflicted party foul. Once you start tasting slush in your adult soda, you’ll know.

Alternatively, WikiHow suggests “burying your beer in cool, moist soil.” It’s definitely a cost-efficient way to cool down warm beers over the long haul, but remember to mark it with a big “X.” Those big cases cost money! You can’t afford to lose track of your spoils.
And don’t forget to bring a shovel.

Or do it the easy way

Unless you’re doing it for the exercise, you might want to rethink burying your beers, or travelling across town and back with melting ice packs. Beer fridges come in small sizes and smaller prices, making them perfect for apartments, residences, and house gatherings. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

There’s a beer for every occasion, and there’s a beer fridge for every budget. Looking for something more unique? We suggest checking out Danby’s newest collection of bar fridges.

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