Commercial Beer & Bottle Coolers
No bar setup is complete without a bottle cooler capable of holding bulk quantities of bottled and canned drinks at a cool, refreshing temperature. As customers are lined up waiting for their drinks, bartenders can swiftly open and serve one beer after another without stopping to restock. More
Units with black exteriors typically have a vinyl laminate finish and are the more economical option.
A stainless finish provides bottle coolers a distinct look, though it typically comes at a higher price point.
Unlike some other types of bar refrigeration, bottle coolers aren't designed to merchandise product; instead, they're built to hold bulk quantities of best-selling bottled and canned beverages, keeping drinks chilled and eliminating the need to restock during peak hours. Bartenders at high-volume establishments can stock anywhere from 100 to around 1,400 bottles of beer in each cooler, keeping the products close at hand for quick, easy service. Put another way, that's approximately 41/2 to 58 cases of beer – enough to satiate a whole crowd of bar-goers, sports fans, or festival attendees.
Most beer bottle coolers operate with built-in refrigeration systems powered by electricity, meaning that while they can operate for hours or days at a time without needing attention, they also must be installed where an electrical connection is available. Indoor operations, such as bars, grills, clubs, and sports bistros, will benefit from one of these commercial beer coolers, because it operates without ice and requires much less staff attention. Depending on how much space is available, operators can subtly incorporate a bottle cooler ranging from 24 to 96 inches in width into their back-bar setup.
In other situations, electrical connections may not be available, such as outdoor events and mobile catering gigs. Despite the lack of utilities, foodservice operators are often called upon to provide refreshing, ice-cold drinks in locations ranging from beaches and street fairs to local festivals and corporate barbeques. To meet this need, some beer coolers for bars use ice to keep drinks cold instead of a refrigeration system. These units can be relocated almost anywhere and only need to be filled with ice to operate. Ice well bottle coolers, as they're known, are typically constructed of durable, lightweight materials like stainless steel with foamed-in-place insulation. As long as you're able to keep draining away melted ice and keep the ice well full, these units are a great solution to keep bottled and canned beverages cold and ready without electricity.