A Koozie is a hollow foam circle inside of which a beverage container is placed in order to keep it cool and keep the drinker’s hands warm. While the performance of individual Koozies may vary due to environmental factors and what beverage is placed inside it, Koozies can usually be expected to keep a drink cold for about forty minutes. A Koozie can also prevent the wet hands that result when condensation forms on the outside of a can.
Koozies are commonly used when drinking beer, but can be used for the enjoyment of any beverage. In different sizes, they are manufactured for use with water bottles, wine bottles and 40 oz. bottles of malt liquor. Though they once were made only of pure foam, Koozies are now made out of many foam-like materials, such as neoprene, open cell foam and polyester. A Koozie commonly has a hole in its base to prevent cans from getting stuck inside it. A collapsible Koozie is convenient for picnics, camping, sports games and other travel. Some are made with a side zipper that makes putting a cup or can inside easier.
A Koozie has another purpose besides maintaining the temperature of a drink. Many companies use them to promote their businesses. Koozies with the logo of a company screen-printed on them are quite common; a Koozie can also be personalized to commemorate an event, such as a wedding or birthday. Since a Koozie is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, it remains a popular free giveaway item. Many companies use Koozies as promotional items at trade shows or to launch new products. The low cost of having these items created and personalized also makes it a great gift for individuals. Koozies treated in a similar way to a dry-erase board can be used to write the name of a drinker on his or her drink, thus preventing mix-ups or wasteful cup usage at parties or other large gatherings.
A Koozie may also be called a can cooler, koolie, beer hugger or a stubby holder – the last name being common in Canada and Australia. Indeed, the stubby holder was invented in 1967 by Australian Alex Lang, though it seems not to have become popular in the United States until the 1990s. Koozies are quite popular in Australia, where incidentally, the cooler was also invented. Alternate spellings of this word include cozy, coosie, or cosy.