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I was away these past few days at a festival, where you couldn’t take a step without seeing at least one beer stand - or stepping on a discarded can, because the trash can were soo far away. So, even though I mostly drank water, beer is a subject on my mind (some of its effects on people have created lasting memories…)

The Lighted Siren Lid is a large beer tube with a light on top. Beside the obvious coolness of being able to pour your own beer (why that act fascinates me, I don’t know), you now have a handy way of letting the bartender or the host know that you are out of alcohol. Flip the switch and hope the light will attract their attention… and hope they’ll care.

As an alternate use, you could always fill it up yourself then start the siren to let your friends know the moment for boozing is finally upon you. They’ll be sure to abandon the grill or watching TV and crowd like moths to a light.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19 on BeerTubes.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets

Have you ever noticed how, even in a house filled with ashtrays, everyone ends up using a bottle, a glass or a plate for their cigarettes? And not everyone has good aim… I doubt anyone likes to clean ashes from their formerly clean carpet just because Joe missed the bottle.

The Bottle Top Ashtray is large and difficult to ignore, so it fulfills two important roles: it’s difficult to miss, so the ashes won’t end up on the floor, and it will also stop inebriated people from trying to drink the ashes. It’s helping yourself and others at the same time.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.89 on DrinkingStuff.com.

I think I’m missing something. Why would you “improve” a beer can? It’s not like it’s difficult to hold… and if you’re too drunk to do it, you probably shouldn’t be drinking anyway.

A handle for a beer can. It’s called the Beerhandle, of course. It’s a piece of plastic that’s supposed to make holding your drink easier, but I fail to see the point. Until I’ve tried it, I can’t say if the can won’t fall out. And I’m not buying the “what if someone bumps into you” thing. If you get startled you can drop anything just as easily.

$10 for this? You’d be better off buying $10 worth of beer.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $10 on DrinkingStuff.com.

Via uncrate

Is laughing at Engrish mean? Yes, it’s an achievement to know any foreign language at an intermediate level, but… not when you’re making a commercial website.

Anyway, a product description that starts with “an perfect decoration in your bedroom home, office desk or anywhere as you like” doesn’t promise much. And seeing as the product in question is a phone shaped like a beer can, I reserve the right to doubt the validity of that statement.

The Budweiser Phone is kitschy as hell and wouldn’t be “an perfect decoration” for anything. It will probably hold someone’s attention for 5 minutes, after which they’d be trying to shove it in the closest trash can. On the off chance that someone is actually interested how it works, here’s a short explanation: the dial is on the bottom of the bottle and you speak into its side. To pick up, just lift the bottle, and to hang up put it down (there’s a button on the bottom to make it hang up).

But… really, don’t buy his. It’s so ugly.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $11.99 on SourcingMap.com.

Via TechDigest

I probably missed out on a lot of life’s pleasures because I didn’t live in the dorm… Then again, drunken people mistakenly knocking on my door at 2 a.m. is not my idea of fun.

But I have experienced a bit of dorm life with the aid of some friends, and the BierStick would be exactly their kind of thing.

It’s not that I don’t drink… but “Drink up to 24 ounces in less than two seconds” is a little extreme. It works like a syringe: you fill it up, push out the air and then push a lot of beer in you. It’s probably very useful if you’re trying to get drunk on very bad beer and you don’t want to taste it, but I am looking forward to reading about the first person to end up in the hospital because of nearly drowning in beer.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.95 on BierStick.com.

Via BoingBoing

I bet most people don’t give a damn what they drink out of, as long as it’s clean and the right size for the drink. However, I appreciate some special types of glasses, such as a set of Ukrainian beer glasses made from very thin glass I got as a present.

Therefore, I suppose there is an audience for an Authentic British Style Imperial Pint Glass with Etched Seal, even though personally I think it’s just a plain ugly large glass. But if history is your thing, you might be impressed by some facts: the heavy ridge on the glass was designed to lessen the chance of shattering when stacked, but also to help drinkers hold the lass (and lessen the chance of shattering when dropped to the floor, probably). The glasses also have an etching of the European Union pint seal on them, and they are imported from Europe (which utterly fails to impress me, since I live there).

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $6.95 on Amazon.com.

Via BoingBoing

I am not a Star Trek fan (except when it comes to making fun of the silly plots), but this is cool! It would’ve never occured to me that the Enterprise is the perfect shape for a bottle opener. Congrats to the inventive people who did this.

The Enterprise Bottle Opener is Picard’s ship - with a big hole in it. Of course, it can’t fly like this, but they had to do something with it! So they shrunk it, coated it with metal and made it a bottle opener. A very cool-looking one I might add, which is sure to impress your sci-fi geek friends.

How much under $29.99?
A little: ~$24 on Red5.co.uk (preorder).

Via DVICE

Cold beer is a very important part of a picnic or barbecue (as long as you’re not the driver), but actually carrying it and keeping it cool might prove to be a problem.

The Chill Stick aims to solve this. This tube-shaped bag can hold six 12 oz cans and the neoprene material should keep them cool enough, while the shoulder strap is supposed to make it easier to carry.

Personally, I’m not sure this actually works. It looks pretty uncomfortable and I’m not sure the insulation is thick enough to keep the cans cold. Interesting idea, but I think a good old cooler bag is more dependable and, unless you get a real shitty model, just as easy to carry.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $11.98 on ThingsYouNeverKnew.com.

Via DVICE

Silliness should be mandatory for a movie night. (Unless you’re planning to see something like Schindler’s List, I suppose.) But if the scheduled playlist includes a couple of silly comedies, the Drinking Glasses are a must-have.

They will make you look totally nerdy, and the liquid swirling around your eyes is probably hysterical (for the first 5 minutes, at least). And they’re perfect for lazy people: why lift your arm, move it to the side, grab the glass and take it to your lips? A couch potato never moves more than s/he has to. Plonk the end of the straw in a bottle and enjoy.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.98 on ThingsYouNeverKnew.com.

Via bookofjoe

Shoes and drinking don’t have much in common - except maybe “don’t forget your shoes in the bar when you decide to crawl back home”. But convergence is at work in footwear too: check out the Reef Dram Sandals.

They look just like any other pair of sandals… only they have a small polyurethane encapsulated canteen in the heel. Going to the beach but don’t want to carry the whiskey bottle with you? Just pour some in your sandal!

While this is indeed interesting… Am I the only one who find drinking out of your shoe disgusting? I know you foot doesn’t actually come in contact with the liquid, but still… ew. And since you’re supposed to wear these on the beach, won’t the whiskey get really really hot, therefore unpleasant to drink?

How much under $29.99?
A little: $22.48 on Amazon.com.

Via bookofjoe