The only thing worst than a cold hand is a warm drink. And the best line of defense against both, is the koozie.

Koozies (also known as cozies, coolies and can coolers) have been keeping beverages cool and cozy wrapped up in a foamy insulation for years. I could not find the exact date they were discovered, but what a year that must of been. Originally designed to hug a 12 ounce can, the koozie has since taken many shapes and sizes.

“Dang man, you got a koozie!”

There are two distinct types of koozies when it comes to cans. The bulky foamy ones and the thin floppy ones. I prefer the thin floppy ones because they fold and fit great in back pockets, which is an excellent place to always keep your koozie because you never know when you may encounter a frosty beverage. The large foamy style is more effective, but a little too bulky for me.

Glass bottle koozies are special because they serve another purpose besides maintaining temperature. It also acts as padding against any dropped and potentially shattered bottles.

But 12 ounce cans and bottles aren’t the only size protected.

I have seen wine bottle sleeves made from koozie material, koozies made to fit pint cans as well as 20 ounce mugs.

One time I had a U.S. Smokeless Tobacco koozie that snapped on like the old snap bracelets. It had two bracelets running through the foam and was probably my favorite koozie ever. I used to keep it on my ankle up to the day it was stolen.

Some koozies slip right on, some snap, some zip and some even Velcro. Some represent sports teams, businesses, schools, organizations and even fish heads. But no matter what kind of koozie you may carry, rest assured, your hand will be warm, your drink cold and nobody will accidentally pick up a drink that is clearly reserved by your koozie.