Being a gift-giving savant is as easy as 1-2-3 (plus a 4 and 5, for good measure). Drink deep with these Active Junky-vetted picks and order your favorite(s) today. For the sake of both of you.
Yeti Rambler 64oz Bottle Starting at: $85.95
Wide-mouth access lets you fill fast, enjoy with gusto up to a half a gallon of down-home goodness. Testers used the bottle as prescribed, both to leave the neighbor craft brewer with a favorite wit beer as well as quaff sun-steeped iced tea. Cold and hot both do well inside kitchen-grade 18/8 stainless steel. Admittedly, the embossed YETI logo makes anything taste better from this double-walled wonder. Wrapped in a five-year warranty, Rambler’s ready to wander anywhere you want to go. No sweat (with a condensation-fighting exterior).
Best For: Year-round use, alternating sharing and guarding anything you imagine – including chowder or chow mein.
Be a smooth operator with medical-grade 18/8 stainless steel in a black pebbled finish that defies abrasion, scratching and blinding your buddies with mirrored reflections in the sun. Sorry, but testers were too thirsty to see it through to 12 hours of hot stuff, much less 24 hours of cold-keeping. Miir turns around and showers one person in need with clean water – free – with purchasers assured by a scan-and-watching video detailing the entire process. BPA-free is standard procedure, as are designs that elevate their deep commitment to a better world. Don’t forget to tap into their “Track Your Impact” link.
Best For: Feel right about your purchase, getting enjoyment out of snapping the traditional locking, wire-bale lid design
Eco-Vessel BOSS Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Growler
Whether or not you realize it, this system runs the table (or fridge and stove, actually) with stunning hot-beverage handling and stand-up cold-keeping as well. Don’t be afraid of the removable stainless steel infuser that deals smoothly with steeping oolong in addition to turning any Spanish rioja table wine into homemade sangria (BYOF, bring your own fruit). Active Junky had fun with two lid options for wide input and more-measured output. Eco-Vessel’s triple insulation is an advantage as is a classic 5” x 5” x 11.5” profile.
Best For: Picnic and travel, all-season hard use with BPA-free assurance from a favorite brand
Avex 20 oz. Brew Insulated Pint Glass Starting at: $23.75
This brand pitches the vacuum-insulated 20oz Brew as the four-wheeler of pint glasses. Point taken – and claim proven. Since Active Junky got our mitts on the slate-colored option, AVEX added a clear plastic lid with slidable spout cover. Now, beverage hounds won’t need an internal gyroscope to keep their suds on an even keel in high winds or on wave-bucking boat decks. Yes, an integrated bottle opener on the bottle is handy. More importantly, 18/8 stainless steel Brew is an easy-gripping “glass” that, with little care (hand wash, please) forces you to confront a beautiful conundrum. As in, a Lifetime Guarantee.
Best For: Stacking, storing, toting and toasting
Sometimes, obvious wins. Take the Colster, a can-shaped, double-wall insulation chamber created to mimic the full-on power of a cooler. This one-handed wonder sits squarely where placed, leaving the sweat to the user’s imagination with a non-drippy base. A proprietary Load-and-Lock Gasket spins into action after two+ revolutions to seal your fate. And swap canned beverages quickly with reverse rotations. Testers ended up amazed that few products have attempted such a simple solution but satisfied that YETI is the obvious heir to the frosty throne.
Best For: Home, camp and travel use well beyond beyond beer