How to use your cooler in Autumn and Winter

So you’ve bought one of our lovely cooler tables, and now you’re wondering how you can utilise it at your next social gathering?

Whether you’ve gone for the drinks cooler with no add-ons or chosen to go the whole hog with the champagne tray and bamboo chopping board, there are multiple ways you can make your swanky new cooler the centrepiece at any party!

drinks ice bucket with lid and LED lights

Water resistant LED Lights

No party is complete without some lighting to set the mood. Candles and fairy lights are always great additions, but can be a pain to put up and candles come with a hazard warning! 

Set the mood with water resistant LED lights such as these and plunge them into your cooler. Not only will this look ace, it’ll make your cooler the perfect centrepiece at the party. This kit comes with 2 water resistant LED lights and a remote. Dial in your favourite colour, or set to flash or pulse. If you place the lights under the ice, your cooler will glow up. These are great if you’re having a themed party too - colour your cooler orange for Halloween or red and green for Christmas. The options are endless!

cool beers stored in an ice bucket with lid

Beer or prosecco pong 

Bear with us on this one, it’s a tried and tested approach! We’ve all played beer or prosecco pong at some point, right? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. The rules are simple. Line up 6-10 cups in a diamond shape at both ends of a long table. Teams take turns throwing a table tennis ball into the other team's cups. Once a ball lands in a cup, the cup is taken away and the opponent then drinks the contents of the cup.

Now we’ve got that covered, here’s the extra bit! Make the game a little more difficult and exciting by placing your cooler table in the middle of the beer pong table. It’ll add another obstacle and you could even float a couple of extra cups in the cooler for another dimension on the game. Trust us when we say this one is fun! We cannot be held responsible for hangovers which may ensue, however.

bamboo lid from ice bucket

Snack station

Now we know our coolers are advertised as drinks coolers, but that doesn’t mean you only need to use them as such. Food is the centrepiece to any party. Anyone who has been to a party worth attending knows this. Use your cooler table as a snack station. Fill it with olives, cheese and pineapple sticks (old school!) or even ice lollies if your party is in the summertime and you want to cool your guests down. 

If your party is in the middle of the day, or you’re keeping it teetotal, blend a couple of smoothie recipes, and pop them in some reusable smoothie cups. Place them in your cooler for your guests to help themselves to. Health and well-being parties are on the up, so if you’re getting together for some yoga or Pilates, use your cooler as the centrepiece for everyone to refresh and reflect together

ice bucket with lid on kitchen counter

Placement

This might sound daft, but where you place your cooler is as important as what you put in it. If you’ve got a drinks cooler, prop it up in the centre of the kitchen or in the middle of the seating area if you’re having a BBQ. If you’ve got the longer-legged cooler, place it in the centre of the garden and kitchen to ensure it’s visible from all angles. You need to ensure people know where to go to get their refreshments. It also saves you from answering the age-old question of “where are the drinks kept?” every five minutes and means you can kick back and relax!

However you choose to use your drinks cooler, enjoy your time with friends and family! Also if you need inspiration for your garden parties, read our article that shows some of the best home and garden accounts to follow on Instagram right now.

If you fancy taking a look at our range of accessories to go with your cooler, take a visit to our online shop. And if you have any queries simply fill in the form on our contact page, or email us at contact@outsidegang.com.