Beverage cooler

Abstract

A beverage cooling element includes a housing having a main body portion and a stem portion, both filled with a freezable material. The stem portion is removably held in a hollow bore of a stem of a drinking vessel, especially a martini glass, containing a liquid beverage, and the main body portion is held in direct contact with the beverage to effect a rapid, direct heat transfer between the frozen material and the beverage to be cooled.

1 . An element for cooling a beverage in a drinking vessel having a stem with a bore, comprising:
 a housing having a boundary wall bounding and sealing an interior chamber, the housing having a stem portion and a main body portion;   a freezable material located within the chamber and being frozen therein;   the stem portion of the housing being friction tightly mounted in the bore of the vessel to maintain the housing in a steady position relative to the vessel during cooling; and   the main body portion of the housing being in direct contact with the beverage for enabling thermal transfer between the beverage and the frozen material in the steady position during cooling.   
   
   
       2 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the boundary wall is constituted of a glass material, and wherein the freezable material is constituted of one of gel and water. 
   
   
       3 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the main body portion has conically shaped side walls, and wherein the stem portion has an elongated, rod shape. 
   
   
       4 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the main body portion has a concave upper surface. 
   
   
       5 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the stem portion is removably mounted in the bore for re-use of the cooling element by re-freezing of the freezable material. 
   
   
       6 . An arrangement for cooling a beverage, comprising:
 a drinking vessel for containing the beverage to be cooled, the vessel having a stem with a bore; and   a cooling element having a housing with a boundary wall bounding and sealing an interior chamber, a freezable material located within the chamber and being frozen therein, the housing having a stem portion friction tightly mounted in the bore of the vessel to maintain the housing in a steady position relative to the vessel during cooling, and the housing having a main body portion in direct contact with the beverage for enabling thermal transfer between the beverage and the frozen material in the steady position during cooling.   
   
   
       7 . The arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the boundary wall is constituted of a glass material, and wherein the freezable material is constituted of one of gel and water. 
   
   
       8 . The arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the main body portion has conically shaped side walls, and wherein the stem portion has an elongated, rod shape. 
   
   
       9 . The arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the main body portion has an upper surface with a broad surface area for heat transfer. 
   
   
       10 . The arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the stem portion is removably mounted in the bore for re-use of the cooling element by re-freezing of the freezable material. 
   
   
       11 . A method of cooling a beverage, comprising the steps of:
 configuring a drinking vessel with a bore in a stem of the vessel;   filling the vessel with the beverage to be cooled;   bounding and sealing a freezable material within an interior chamber of a cooling element configured with a stem portion and a main body portion;   freezing the freezable material;   friction tightly mounting the stem portion in the bore of the vessel to maintain the cooling element in a steady position relative to the vessel during cooling; and   enabling thermal transfer between the beverage and the frozen material in the steady position during cooling by positioning the main body portion in direct contact with the beverage.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , and removing the stem portion from the bore for re-use of the cooling element by re-freezing of the freezable material.