Review: Stanley Classic and Adventure Series Drinking Vessels

Stanley

Classic and Adventure Series Drinking Vessels
stanley-pmi.com

In June of this year, I praised Portland Growler Co.’s ceramic Sprocket growler, but after trying Stanley’s Classic Vacuum Growler, I’m glad that the ceramic behemoth fell off my refrigerator and exploded into a thousand pieces on my kitchen floor. Stanley’s steel growler is more durable, lighter, easy to pour one-handed with, easier to clean, seals more reliably and keeps my friend Lennie Mahler’s draft homebrew colder during summer porch parties for much longer than the Sprocket growler. Stanley claims that it will keep beer cold for 24 hours. After taking temperature readings upon filling and again 28 hours later, I found a temperature increase from 39.4 degrees F to 48.4—a perfectly acceptable drinking temperature for Mahler’s IPA. The Classic Vacuum Pint is a fitting porch party sidekick to the growler—Stanley says it keeps beer cold for four and a half hours, but I couldn’t keep beer in it long enough to verify this. It has a lid with a built-in bottle opener and cutout for easy drinking, so one can drink any beer necessary and keep bugs out of it too. The Classic Flask has been my frequent companion when sneaking booze into late-night movies, and its 8-oz. capacity and wide mouth are great for pre-mixed cocktails for two—just ask Sam “The Lawyer” Johnston. As for taking rum shots with the kids at my baby sister Jamie Kirkland’s 21st birthday party, Stanley’s steel Adventure SS Shot Glass Set proved to be plenty durable, and the carrying tube kept them all in one place. If you take mobile drinking as seriously as I do, visit an outdoorsy retail store and stock up on Stanley. –Cody Kirkland