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For Event Rent ME’s 150-quart cooler, start with four to five standard 20-pound bags of ice when the cooler will be heavily loaded with beverages. That gives you approximately 80 to 100 pounds of ice. Adjust the amount for the number of drinks, whether they are already cold, the outdoor temperature, the event length, and how often guests will open the lid.
Ice is not included with the rental, so add it to the event shopping and delivery plan.
Do 248 cans fit with the ice?
Our 150-quart cooler holds up to 248 standard 12-ounce cans without ice. That figure describes the cooler’s full container capacity, not the number of drinks you can combine with four or five bags of ice.
Ice and beverages share the same interior space. Bottles, tall cans, water jugs, mixers, and irregularly shaped containers also use that space differently.
The cooler’s largest number is not its event-day beverage capacity.
Instead of planning around 248 cans, make a list of what needs to be cold at the beginning of service. Then allow space for the ice that will surround those drinks.
If the cooler were filled entirely with ice, Event Rent ME’s product guidance estimates that it would take approximately eight to nine 20-pound bags. That is a useful volume reference, but most events need a mixture of ice and beverages rather than a cooler full of ice.
Count what needs to be cold at the same time
The total number of drinks purchased for an event does not always need to fit in the cooler at once.
For a wedding, graduation party, reunion, or company gathering, you may have additional chilled beverages waiting in a refrigerator or another approved storage area. The main cooler can begin with the drinks needed for the first service period and be restocked as guests use them.
That plan works best when someone is assigned to handle the refills. Decide:
- Which beverages go into the cooler first
- Where the remaining cases will be stored
- Who will replenish each drink type
- Whether additional ice will be available later
- When the cooler should be fully stocked
- Where empty cans, bottles, and packaging will go
Count what must be cold at the same time, not every drink purchased for the event.
Avoid relying on a single drinks-per-person formula. A three-hour graduation open house, an evening wedding reception, and an all-day community event create different demand. The beverage menu matters too. Water, soda, beer, canned cocktails, and mixers may be used at different rates and at different times.
Pre-chill the drinks before loading
Warm beverages make the ice do two jobs: cool each container and maintain the temperature inside the cooler.
Pre-chilling the cans and bottles lets the ice begin with cold beverages. Event Rent ME’s product guidance specifically recommends this because it can significantly reduce the amount of ice required.
Move drinks from refrigeration into the cooler as close to service time as the setup schedule allows. If several types are being served, group them in sections so the person restocking the station can see what is running low.
Frequently requested drinks should be easy to reach. That reduces the time the lid remains open and keeps guests or attendants from searching through the entire load.
Place the cooler before filling it
The cooler measures approximately 39 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 22 inches high. Those dimensions belong in the floor plan before the beverages arrive.
Place the cooler on a level, stable surface near the drink station, but keep it out of entrances, buffet traffic, dance-floor routes, and other busy walkways. When possible, choose a shaded or covered location appropriate for the event conditions.
The cooler has reinforced side handles, but a load containing beverages plus 80 to 100 pounds of ice will be much harder to reposition than an empty cooler. Confirm its final location and who will handle placement before filling it.
Also check the path between beverage storage and the cooler. The restocking person should not need to carry full cases through the guest line or across the dance floor.
Place the cooler before you build the drink station around it.
Pack for the way drinks will be served
Begin with pre-chilled beverages, then distribute ice around and above them rather than leaving a single pile at one end. Fill open areas as the load allows.
Organize the contents around the service plan. You might keep water together, group sodas by type, and reserve another section for beverages handled by the bartender or event staff.
A simple label outside the cooler can help attendants find the right section without holding the lid open. If guests will use the cooler directly, make sure they can approach it without blocking the refill route.
The cooler’s built-in cup holders provide convenient places to set drinks during service. They should not become storage spots for tools, loose packaging, or other items needed elsewhere.
Decide whether you also want a self-serve drink station
A large cooler is useful for cold storage, restocking, and keeping a substantial beverage supply together. A 48-inch folding ice table with skirt creates a guest-facing station where bottled drinks can be displayed in a built-in ice basin.
These rentals can have complementary jobs. The cooler can hold backstock and less frequently requested beverages, while the ice table presents water and other bottled drinks within easy reach. Someone can replenish the table from the cooler as the event continues.
If you use both, include ice for both pieces in the shopping plan. Ice is not included with either rental.
Plan for melting ice and the end of service
The cooler has a threaded drain plug for removing melted ice. Before opening it, confirm where the water is allowed to drain.
Do not place the drain where water will cross a guest walkway, collect beneath electrical equipment, run into the tent entrance, or create a muddy service area. The property owner or venue may have a preferred location.
At the end of the event, remove the remaining beverages and ice, drain the cooler in the approved area, and follow the return instructions provided with the reservation. Allow enough cleanup time for this job rather than leaving a fully loaded cooler for the final minutes of breakdown.
For a heavily loaded 150-quart cooler, begin your plan with four to five 20-pound bags of ice and pre-chilled beverages. Reserve the cooler, then send your event date, address, expected attendance, beverage list, service hours, and planned cooler location through our event planning contact form. We can help you make sure the cooler, ice, and restocking plan match the way drinks will actually be served.
