Best Glass Drink Dispensers For Outdoor Entertaining

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Glass beverage dispensers are the best for parties in the summertime. They always look great and you can put almost any cold drink inside. Whether it’s filled with juice at a kid’s birthday party, serving up adult beverages at a BBQ, or just being used for water – the best glass drink dispensers can do it all.

Drink Dispenser VS Pitcher: Which is Better?

Drink dispensers are way nicer than pitchers when you’re having a casual or buffet style gathering. Especially if you’re partying outdoors. 

Because of the spout, drink dispensers are much easier to pour than a pitcher. When full, pitchers can be heavy and awkward. That means kids and people with disabilities will have trouble pouring their own drinks.

Drink dispensers are also cleaner – there’s less chances of spills when pouring or knocking over the whole container. 

Finally, drink dispensers are usually enclosed so they’re perfect for serving drinks outdoors. Bugs and dirt can easily find their way inside of an open drink pitcher, quickly ruining whatever’s inside. Thanks to the lid and the closed spout you don’t need to worry about anything gross inside your drink dispenser, and therefore your drink.

What to Serve in a Glass Drink Dispenser

You can really put anything cold inside these drink dispensers. The only thing that they’re not good for is hot liquids. A glass container like this is going to lose heat pretty quickly. Some can’t handle heat at all – so make sure to check the instructions before brewing something like iced or sweet tea inside.

If you’re serving non-alcoholic beverages then you could fill up your drink dispenser with water (or lemon water), juice, iced tea, lemonade, or a non-alcoholic cocktail. 

For adult parties, you could also mix a signature cocktail inside the drink dispenser. Usually recipes that are designed for pitchers will work in a drink dispenser, although you might have to double the recipe to fill up a larger container.

You could also take a cocktail that’s designed for one and multiply the recipe several times. I l personally love summer themed recipes like lemonade or slushy drinks.

Finally, some people also like to use them to hold liquid laundry soap or as an everyday water jug in their fridge. 

The Best Glass Drink Dispensers

Choosing the best glass drink dispensers is a lot about what your personal style is. They usually hold a gallon or two, but the real differences come in the design. A lot of the time a drink dispenser is a major focal point of your table – so it’s important to get something nice.

1-Gallon Glass Beverage Dispenser with 18/8–Stainless Steel Spigot

FineDine Glass Drink Dispenser for Fridge - 1 Gallon Water, Laundry Detergent, Juice or Beverage Dispenser for Parties with Spigot - Serveware for BBQ, Picnic, Pool Party and Social Events

I love the mason jar look of this glass beverage dispenser. It’s designed to be leak proof and shatter proof so you don’t need to worry too much about having glass at a party. (Although I wouldn’t test that shatter proof claim personally!)

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Something that’s cool about this drink dispenser is the clear acrylic ice holder. You can barely see it but filled with ice the drinks stay cold for longer. You’ll need a lot of ice to keep things cold on hot summer days – keeping it separate means your drink doesn’t get watered down throughout the day.

Pros:

  • Comes in 1 and 2 gallon sizes
  • Ice holder keeps drinks from getting watered down
  • Leak proof spigot means less mess

Cons:

  • Metal lid can be subject to rusting with extended use
  • Ice holder takes up space so the container holds less beverage
  • Heavy when full

Dual Gallon Glass Beverage Dispensers with Decorative Metal Stand

Premium Glass Beverage Dispenser Set - 2 Gallon Dispensers with Stand, Spigot, and Drip Trays | Ideal for Juice, Tea, and Party Drinks | Elegant Pitcher for Parties and Events

This set is great if you want to have different options at your buffet dinner, BBQ, or garden party. They look small, but each container actually has a one gallon capacity for a total of two gallons.

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The set includes the stand which adds a more sophisticated element to the way you serve drinks. There are also drip trays so that you don’t end up with a puddle after messy pourers get their drinks.

Pros:

  • Comes with two beverage dispensers
  • Stand is great for serving
  • Lids aren’t made of metal so they won’t rust

Cons:

  • Lids don’t fit on tightly and can be bumped off
  • Can’t be used with hot water (to brew iced tea, for example)
  • Needs some assembly

Navaris Beverage Dispenser with Stand

Navaris Beverage Dispenser with Stand - 1.8 Gallon (7L) Glass Drink Dispenser with Spigot, Lid, Wood Stand for Hot or Cold Drinks, Ice Water, Parties

Loving the modern, bamboo look of this large beverage dispenser. It holds nearly two gallons of ice cold drinks and would look perfect on boho style or modern table setting. 

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What’s awesome about this beverage dispenser, besides the fact that it comes with a super cool stand, is that it’s good for both cold and hot liquids. That means if you wanted to brew something warm like iced coffee or sweet tea you wouldn’t need a separate pitcher or container.

Pros:

  • Vent on top helps adjust flow from the spigot
  • Good for hot and cold beverages
  • Great design

Cons:

  • Difficult to transport when full
  • Stand height might not be high enough for tall glasses
  • Could fall of the stand if you’re not careful

Emica Home 1 Gallon Cold Drink Glass Beverage Dispenser with Ice Infuser

Emica Home 1 Gallon Cold Drink Glass Beverage Dispenser with Ice Infuser, Clear Bail & Trigger with Locking Clamp Drink Dispenser with Easy Flow Spigot for Outdoor, Parties and Daily Use

The lid seals so this beverage dispenser is perfect for transporting your favourite beverages to a party or picnic. The handle also helps make it easier to carry. 

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As for the design, I love that this one looks like a mason jar and is more round that similarly designed drink holders. You can get it in clear, but I also like the different colour options for the lid too.

Pros:

  • Comes with an ice cylinder so your drinks don’t get watered down
  • Easy to transport
  • Seal is tight so the spigot doesn’t leak

Cons:

  • Dispenses slowly because there’s no air vent
  • Can be heavy, which might be a problem if you’re planning to transport it
  • Will crack if you put hot liquids inside

Style Setter Beverage Dispenser W/Stand

Style Setter Beverage Dispenser with Stand - 2.5 Gallon Large Countertop Glass Drink Dispenser w/Spigot & Lid - Party Drink Dispenser for Sweet Tea Lemonade Punch Water, Juice Dispensers for Parties

This beverage dispenser has a great, simple design which I think would be great for almost any type of entertaining. Having it up on the stand means you have more space on the table and don’t have to position the beverage dispenser right on the edge to fill up drinks.

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With a 2.5 gallon capacity it’s the biggest option on this list. Since it’s so large I’d recommend using a separate pitcher to fill it up in place rather than filling and carrying the heavy drink dispenser to the table. 

Pros:

  • Large capacity
  • Includes a stand
  • Doesn’t leak or drip

Cons:

  • Stand legs don’t have grips and could slide on some surfaces
  • Dispenses slow with the lid on
  • Spigot is made of plastic, not stainless steel

Glacial Ice Design Glass Beverage Dispenser with SS Spigot and Stand

Glacial Ice Design Glass Beverage Dispenser with SS Spigot and Stand - 2.5 Gal

This is another 2.5 gallon capacity drink dispenser but I wanted to include it because I love the style. It kind of has vintage vibes going on and I think it would look charming at a dinner party or backyard BBQ.

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I personally like drink dispensers that come with a stand because they fit on the table better. The only downside is that it’s not going to work if your glasses are too tall – so keep that in mind when making your decision.

Pros:

  • Unique design made from sturdy glass
  • Stainless steel spigot
  • Lid and nozzle are both secure

Cons:

  • Lid needs to be removed to pour properly
  • Stand could slip
  • Stand might be too short (although tall enough to fill a standard Solo cup)

What are the Best Glass Drink Dispensers?

I chose all the drink dispensers on this list because they’re great quality. They all feature leak-resistant spigots, are made of durable materials, and look great on the table. 

My pick for the best glass drink dispenser is the Navaris Beverage Dispenser with Stand. It’s really the only one on this list that does it all and I absolutely love the unique design compared to the usual beverage dispensers you see.

It’s kind of an in between size – not too big, not too small. Perfect for your standard house party or family event. It should serve 4-8 people without refilling, but you could also refill it during the event too. 

What I really love, though, is the versatility. It’s the only drink dispenser on this list that you can put hot water into; something that anyone who’s brewing iced coffee or sweet tea will appreciate. 

Since it comes with the stand you can place it anywhere on the table, which makes entertaining easier.

When you’re all done serving drinks the glass part is also dishwasher safe! 

Final Thoughts on Glass Drink Dispensers

Some things to consider when making your choice is how much liquid you want to serve at one time, whether or not you want your beverage dispenser to have a stand, and if you’re serving hot or cold beverages inside of it.

Keep in mind that most of the larger drink holders are going to be hard to carry and heavy when full, too. 

All of the glass drink dispensers on this list are great options. Pick the one that suits your needs the best and that will match your decorating style. You could even pick up a couple if you wanted to serve a few different types of drinks! 

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