Fashionable and Functional Beverage Carriers
By: Sarah Chappell
Published: April 30, 2011

Warm weather has finally made an appearance and we're getting ready for rooftop parties and and park picnics. Here are four fashionable ways to bring the drinks that won't sacrifice functionality.
1. Kleen Kanteen Wine Karafe ($22.95, Kleen Kanteen): Made of food-grade stainless steel, a BPA-free Kleen Kanteen is the perfect way to transport wine to the great outdoors. The Wine Karafe holds the contents an entire 750 mL bottle so you can ditch the heavy and accident-prone glass. It's also a great size for a batch of cocktails: just whip up 4-5 servings of your favorite at home before heading to your gathering. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, hit up the Natural Product Alliance for naturally made wines sold in refillable Kanteens.

2. Bicycle Wine Rack ($25 CAD, Oopsmark): This bottle holder has made the internet rounds, but the minimalist leather rack is worth a second look. We're not sure if it will actually keep a bottle secure, but it's perfect for an obligatory girl-and-a-bike street style photo.

3. Maptote Wine Tote ($13-$22, Maptote): Show off your favorite wine region or city with a silkscreened cotton wine tote. Made in Brooklyn, the Maptote comes in either single or double bottle sizes and is easy to stash in a purse or backpack until needed.

4. Leather Shopping Bags (Shopping Bag, $260.92-$310.62, Cast of Vices at Colette; Bodega Bag, $150-$200, Slow and Steady Wins the Race): Next time you're picking up a six pack of beer, skip the plastic bag that smells like petroleum in favor of an haute reinterpretation. Two brands have made leather versions of classic shopping bags: Cast of Vices has taken on take-out food bags while Slow and Steady Wins the Race has copied the ubiquitous black bodega bag. Either will cut down on trash and double as a purse in a pinch.

Photos by Kleen Kanteen / Oopsmark / Maptote / Colette / Slow and Steady Wins the Race