Stanley glass becomes a fad and creates polarization among beer drinkers

Journalism is a profession that makes people pay the language from time to time. Less than three months ago, I wrote about the Stanley cup on the Cozinha Bruta blog:

“If they see me with a cup like that… it was a gift. But they won’t see me. If I get one, I’ll drink it in secret.”

Behold, I bought the cup. I got refunded but I bought it. And here I am, recounting my experience with the hottest ostentation article of recent summers.

I must assume that there are still those who do not know what a Stanley glass is. It’s a glass, obviously. A thermos cup, made of stainless steel, the purpose of which is to keep cold drinks cold — and hot drinks hot.

Big deal, huh? That’s also what I thought when I heard about Stanley.

What is intriguing is the modinha, almost a cult, created around a thermos cup. A thermos cup that costs almost R$ 200.

Stanley has become a must-have for ripped boys who play beach tennis and go drink beer afterwards. It is the glass that travels the most in the world: it goes with the owner to the beach, to the bar, to Instagram. Apparently, you’re a loser if you don’t own a Stanley Cup.

While some boast, others get cheap from ostentation. Stanleymania was branded frivolous and tacky. Someone released an American glass with the print “Stanley is meuzovo”. Full polarization.

It wasn’t always like that. Stanley is an American company that has been around since 1913, when there was no TikTok. The business grew a lot in World War II, with the supply of thermoses to airline pilots.

The thermal insulation technology invented by Stanley was used to transport organs for transplantation and frozen semen from bulls.

For individuals, the company specializes in producing bottles, cups and other artifacts for trails, camping and all kinds of outdoor activities.

Robust and durable items, which gave birth to the brilliant marketing gimmick: lifetime warranty. Who doesn’t want to pay 200 contos in a glass that, in addition to being a hell of a glass, is the last glass you’ll ever need to buy?

More than a century later, the thermos cup became a fever on the Brazilian coast. The oldest record of the cult of Stanley dates from January 2020, in a report in the newspaper A Gazeta, from Vitória.

The text says that the glass “has become a fashion among those most connected to news in Espírito Santo”. According to the same source, stanleymania originated in the sands of Bacutia, Três Praias and Praia da Aldeia, in Guarapari – summer resorts for the Espírito Santo elite.

What, in the Stanley cup, seduces crowds? It is said to be its ability to keep beer cold for 4.5 hours. But who keeps the beer in the glass for so long? It does not matter. Let’s test the bagasse.

I bought the cup through Stanley’s official sales channel. I took the “beer pint” version with a lid (and attached bottle opener!)… if it’s to be done, let’s do it right. It was R$ 199, plus shipping. The lidless version costs R$ 149.

Order received, to the first test. Drink beer, simply.

At the speed I usually drink, the thermal function of the Stanley cup doesn’t make much difference. The metallic sensation in the mouth is very noticeable, very similar to the old and dented aluminum mugs from the Boi na Brasa steakhouse.

I definitely prefer drinking from a glass.

The next test was more controlled. I pre-chilled the glass (as the manual recommends) and left the beer inside for the 4.5 hours Stanley promises to keep it cold.

At the end of that break, I returned to Stanley. The beer had warmed up a bit – it was a very hot night in São Paulo – but it was still at an acceptable temperature.

The problem was with the gas, or lack of it. After 4.5 hours, the beer was predictably stale. It went straight down the drain.

For the last test, I filled Stanley with water and ice cubes and left him beside my bed all night. The brand’s promise is to keep drinks with ice for an amazing 15 hours.

I didn’t wait that long, but after nine or ten hours there was still ice floating in the water. Point for the Stanley Cup. But it doesn’t seem like enough to shell out two hundred.

Just before starting to write this text, beer sommelier Edu Passarelli appeared all hot with Stanley, in an Instagram photo, at the pool. Hey, sommelier! I texted him: “What’s with that cup?”

“For pool and beach it’s great,” the sommelier replied enthusiastically. “In these situations, the beer heats up much faster than the rate at which I drink it. At Stanley’s, the glass even heats up on the outside, but the beer remains cold.”

And in other situations? “Then it’s much better to drink from the glass.”

Bia Amorim, also a beer sommelier, agrees: “It’s a good glass for several occasions, but not all.” “I wouldn’t fight for him”, he adds, referring to the excited moods of the supporters for and against Stanley.

Who said fight? The glass is excellent, the only thing missing is the pool. This I don’t have. Next time, I’ll buy a pool and send the invoice for reimbursement.