Apparatus for controlling the temperature of a beverage container, for example, by either chilling the beverage container or maintaining the beverage container at a predetermined temperature, the apparatus having a generally cylindrical configuration with a receptacle in its upper portion and cooling components in the lower portion to establish a low center of gravity for the apparatus.

An actively heated mug has a body with a chamber that can receive and hold a beverage and a heating element to actively heat the chamber, batteries, and circuitry that controls the operation of the heating element. A user interface is electrically connected to the circuitry and has one or more buttons actuatable a) to turn on the heating element, b) to adjust a temperature setting to one of multiple temperature settings to control the operation of the heating element to heat or maintain the liquid at a user selected temperature setting, and c) to turn off the heating element.

An ice core, a beverage container with an ice core and a method of making the ice core and the beverage container with the ice core is disclosed. The ice core includes an ice core body, an ice core rim formed on the ice core body and an ice core tube formed through the ice core body and the ice core rim. The ice core is configured for placement in a beverage container. A lid having a slit formed thereon can be placed on the beverage container. A straw can be inserted through the slit in the lid, allowing the straw to have access to the beverage container and the ice core tube. wherein the straw placed through the ice core tube is configured to extend from the top region to the base region of the beverage container to access liquid at the base region.

An insert for a beverage container is provided that includes an inner container, a first rim, a second rim, and one or more protrusions. The inner container may be positioned inside of the beverage container and may include a first end having a first edge, an opposing second end having a second edge, and side surfaces extending between the first and second edge. The first rim is formed on the first edge of the inner container and includes a first diameter. The second rim is formed on the second edge of the inner container and includes a second diameter. The protrusions extend downwardly from the second end toward the beverage container. The first end is open and the second end is closed. A thermal regulating material is positioned between the inner container and the beverage container.

A container with active temperature control system is provided. The active temperature control system is operated to heat or cool a chamber sized to receive a beverage therein. The container includes an insulated vessel that has the chamber and a cooling or heating unit. The cooling or heating unit includes a thermoelectric element in thermal communication with the chamber, phase change material in thermal communication with the thermoelectric element, a power storage device, and circuitry to control the operation of the thermoelectric element. The cooling or heating unit is operable to increase or decrease or maintain a temperature of the beverage in the chamber by operating the thermoelectric element to draw heat from the chamber and transfer it to the module of phase change material.

A device for cooling or freezing glasses with carbon dioxide, having an upwardly open inner space for receiving a glass, wherein the inner space is enclosed all around by an inner wall, wherein a nozzle and a support tray are arranged in the inner space and a glass to be cooled or frozen is movable into the inner space and against the support tray from above, whereby carbon dioxide is released into the glass from the nozzle, and wherein the device has an outer wall, wherein the inner wall has openings leading into the device interior between the inner wall and the outer wall, and/or the inner wall is open towards the device interior beneath the support tray or is sealed with an inner bottom element which has multiple openings leading into the device interior. Optional elements allow fastening the device directly to the valve cap of a gas cylinder.

A system and method for making degradable drinking straws made of ice (or other frozen liquid(s)). The system may comprise one or more tubes configured to extend into a reservoir. The tubes may each be in fluid communication with a connecting bar, wherein fluid (e.g., a liquid and/or a gas) within the connecting bar may be directed into the tubes. The system may comprise a source of cold fluid and a source of hot fluid in fluid communication with the connecting bar. The degradable straw may comprise a wall (or thickness) made of ice with a hollow, cavity, and/or void space through the straw. The degradable straw may serve to cool the drink (as any other piece of ice within the drinking liquid) via placement in a drink and/or via the drink passing through the void space into a user's mouth.