Okay, here’s my blog post about my beverage dispenser rental experience. Hope you find it useful!
My Beverage Dispenser Rental Adventure
So, last weekend, I threw a small backyard BBQ. I wanted to make it a little fancier than just cracking open cans of soda, so I decided, hey, let’s rent a beverage dispenser! Never done it before, figured it couldn’t be that hard. Boy, was I in for a ride.
First thing I did was Google, like everyone does, right? Searched for “beverage dispenser rental near me.” A bunch of party supply places popped up. I called the first one, “Party Central,” and the lady on the phone sounded super rushed. I asked about prices and what kind of dispensers they had. She rattled off a few sizes and said, “Just come on down, we got tons!” Not exactly helpful, but whatever, I figured I’d swing by.
Got to Party Central, and it was a MESS. Dispensers were stacked all over the place, some looked kinda dusty. I asked to see a few different sizes. The lady, who I think was the same one I talked to on the phone, pointed vaguely and said, “They’re over there.” Ended up lugging a couple myself to the counter.
Finally picked one that looked decent – a three-gallon clear plastic one with an ice core thingy. Asked if it came with a stand. Nope. “You can put it on a cake stand or something,” she said. Alright, noted. Paid for the rental, got a receipt, and off I went.
Got home, washed the dispenser (because, you know, dusty!), and started mixing up my drink – some fancy-pants iced tea with lemon and mint. Filled the ice core with water and tossed it in the freezer. Easy peasy, right?
Next day, BBQ time! I took the frozen ice core out and popped it in the dispenser. Filled the thing up with my iced tea. Looked great! Then I realized… I forgot the cake stand! Scrounged around the kitchen and found a sturdy-ish plant pot saucer. Not ideal, but it worked.
Guests started arriving, and everyone was loving the iced tea. About an hour in, I noticed the dispenser was starting to sweat like crazy. Turns out, that little ice core wasn’t doing much to keep the tea cold in the summer heat. Duh.
Ended up having to throw a bunch of ice cubes directly into the dispenser. Diluted the tea a bit, but hey, at least it was cold-ish.
The other thing? The spigot on the dispenser was kinda low. People were having a hard time getting their glasses under it, especially with my makeshift plant pot saucer stand. Lots of awkward tilting and spilling.
After the party, I cleaned out the dispenser (which, thankfully, was easy) and took it back to Party Central. The lady didn’t even look at it, just grabbed it and said, “Thanks!”
So, yeah, beverage dispenser rental. It wasn’t a complete disaster, but definitely learned a few things:
- Call around and ask specific questions about the dispensers before you go.
- Check the dispenser for cleanliness and condition BEFORE you leave the store.
- Seriously consider the ice situation – ice core things might not cut it.
- Make sure you have a decent stand, or rent one!
Would I rent a beverage dispenser again? Maybe. But next time, I’ll be a LOT more prepared. I think I’d probably just buy one from Amazon.
