The sun is summer’s greatest ally — and greatest enemy. For every sun-soaked day at the beach, there are sunburns trying to ruin the party. With every excuse to drink an icy beverage, the sunshine’s more determined to keep the drink from staying cool.
These hacks will allow you to enjoy the benefits of the summer sun without the side effect of a warm beverage.
First, let’s say you just got home from the grocery store where you purchased a 12-pack of your favorite soda. You’re thirsty and it’s room temperature at best, right? Patience is a virtue, but there’s nothing wrong with accelerating the process. Fill a bowl with ice water and add a teaspoon of salt, then submerge a can of soda in the bowl. This process will cool your drink more than twice as fast as just putting it in the freezer.
This other example requires less work, but it takes more freezer space. And if you’re like the rest of us, your freezer is pretty packed in the summer! Wet a paper towel and wrap it around a bottle or can before you place it in the freezer. The contents inside will cool much more quickly.
If you have more time to plan, this hack will keep your drink cold for longer. Ice doesn’t fit in a bottle, and freezing your beer or other beverage will get you to Slushy Town in a hurry. Fill an empty bottle about halfway, put the cap on, and place it in the freezer on its side. When it’s frozen, pour your favorite beverage inside — the ice from top to bottom will keep the contents cool on the go.
Bonus Hack: This has nothing to do with the sun, but is still a neat way to make drinking your beverage easier. If you go fancy and use a straw when you drink from a can, you know how hard it is to get the straw to stay put. Spin the can’s tab around and feed the straw through it. Now you’ll have a well-behaved straw that doesn’t shift around when you need it to be there for you.
The sun is hot, and the summer is long. You need the comfort of a cool beverage to help you get through it. Keep cool, wear sunscreen, and have fun!