Resource Center » Who Invented the Koozie?
The inventor of the koozie may be debated, but the ingenuity of this simple wrap is unquestionable.
Koozies wrap around a can, a glass, or a bottle to keep beverages at the perfect temperature so the drinker can comfortably sip and socialize. Who can claim credit for inventing the koozie? Many would like to be known as the inventor of this ingenious device.
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Although koozies have been around for more than 20 years, rumors still circulate regarding their origin. It is said the koozie was invented in the early 1980s but was not successful; after that, it was named koozie and it soared to popularity. There is also a story of a man in the 1960s who may have invented something similar to a koozie. He dedicated himself to finding a way to keep his beer cold after his beer became warm while he lounged on the beach. |
There's also a chance that the koozie could have come from Australia or from Canada. An Australian marketing researcher may have created the koozie while looking for a way to help companies market themselves. This researcher called it a stubby holder instead of a koozie. However, the stubby holder could have been invented in Canada in the mid-1970s by Wes Cresswell, and it may have led to the koozie that is now known in the United States.
However, the most likely scenario is that the koozie stemmed from David C. Duncan and Russell C. Duncan’s 1921 invention for portable gas generators, which was called a cozy. Koozies are sometimes called cozies, so perhaps the koozie was originally thought of as a drink jacket inspired by William H. Waggoner’s 1929 invention of a linoleum jacket. Bonnie McGough may have been influenced by both of these inventions when she made her insulated beverage cozy in 1981. Perhaps it is Bonnie McGough who can lay claim to the rights of the koozie.
| It is known that Kyle Brandon Jones referenced the portable gas generator cozy, the linoleum jacket, and the insulated beverage cozy in his patent for the Krazy Koozie. Jones’s Krazy Koozie continued in this line of inventions and provided solutions to some of the problems not solved in the earlier inventions. Also in his patent, Jones mentioned protective sleeves for paper cups (invented by Robert A. Tunberg in 1985), a fold-up insulated beverage container holder with a stabilizing support base (invented by Scott R. Henderson in 1987), an insulated jacket for beverage container (invented by Charles E. Effertz in 1992), and an insulated sleeve for beverage cup (invented by Joel A. Carlson in 1993). |  |
All of these inventors have contributed to today’s koozie. Kyle Brandon Jones perfected the koozie with his 2003 invention; the Krazy Koozie keeps both hot and cold drinks at their desired temperatures, protects hands and furniture, and is easily compacted for storage.
Even though the original koozie inventor may be subject to debate, the koozie is an ingenious invention and a perfect marking tool. The koozie makes any drink comfortable to hold and it has the practical function of keeping a company’s name in front of the drinker.
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