KRB’s bringing the BBQ back to basics
For the ‘Love’ of kids, football and giving back
January 5, 2026
MINOCQUA – A self-proclaimed lover of nostalgia, Kristin Lenz said she can easily picture a perfect day in 1955: cruising a country road in a Chevy Bel Air convertible, Doris Day and Frank Sinatra playing on the radio and a Skotch Kooler packed and ready for a day on the water aboard a classic wooden Chris-Craft.
By her measure, Lenz said that would be “just peachy keen.”
Seven decades later, Lenz said she has purchased the trademarks for the iconic plaid-covered picnic products and is bringing them to a whole new generation.
“People tell me that, growing up, when the Skotch Kooler came out, they knew fun was going to happen,” she said. “So many people have such fond memories of it growing up. It’s an American icon.”
An unlikely inspiration
According to the history shared on the company’s website (skotchkoolerusa.com), Skotch Koolers were first produced in the 1950s by Hamilton Metal Products Company, founded in 1919 in Hamilton, Ohio.
The company initially manufactured mailboxes and other sheet metal goods, as well as food graters and metal buckets.
Those metal buckets, Lenz said, became the unlikely inspiration for the original Skotch Koolers.
Facing debt and the need to expand its product line, the company – per the website – looked for a practical addition, settling on a minnow bucket as a sensible option.
The container could keep ice cream firm for two to three hours without ice and proved useful for fishing trips, with advertisements touting its versatility – noting that it “kept groceries cold on the way to the lake and fish cold on the way back.”
The container held four gallons and had three layers of insulation: one of fiberglass, one of inert air and a heat-reflecting outer surface.
It was also airtight and waterproof, according to the website.
The best-looking bucket
Early sales were slow, according to the company history, until a redesign in 1951.
That year, Hamilton Metal Products hired Petra Cabot, a costume and set designer and painter, to restyle the bucket.
Cabot later said she set out to create “the best-looking bucket anybody ever saw.”
The redesign introduced the now-familiar red, black and yellow plaid pattern, leather accents and her signature along the rim.
The updated look and strong cooling performance drew attention, according to the website, but the product initially struggled at a $49.95 price point.
After further refinements, the price was reduced to $7.95, and sales more than doubled.
The cooler, per the site, became so recognizable that the company renamed itself the Hamilton-Skotch Corporation and expanded the Skotch name to other products.
The plaid design soon gained widespread recognition, and within four years of the relaunch, entertainer Bob Hope appeared in a national magazine advertisement promoting the Skotch Kooler.
From there, the website further states the brand became a common sight at beaches and campgrounds and later appeared in popular culture, including on “Mad Men.”
By the late 1970s, however, demand declined, production ended, trademarks lapsed and the Skotch brand largely disappeared, remaining known mainly to collectors.
Queue a comeback
In 2017, four decades after the trademark lapsed – according to the website – the Skotch trademarks were purchased by a trio from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who renamed the company Skotch Kooler USA.
According to the company website, they “came across a historical relic clad with plaid and concluded that it was the best-looking bucket anyone ever saw, ready for a comeback.”
The products were updated for modern use while preserving their original charm and artisanal construction.
Lenz, a lifestyle blogger who calls herself “a plaid-loving girl,” said she took over the business in 2025, moving it from Minneapolis to Minocqua.
She said she had met the previous owners at an influencers event they hosted a few years earlier.
“Last December, they reached back out,” she said. “They wanted to step back from the business and asked me if I wanted to take on the legacy.”
Lenz said the Skotch brand was a natural fit for both her online ventures and her existing business, White Arrows Home.
“The Northwoods is a very unique place, and Skotch Koolers fit in very well with that,” she said. “The brand has been a part of campfires, road trips and summer adventures for generations.”
The next generation
The Skotch Kooler collection, Lenz said, currently includes three items.
The softside cooler – priced at $295 – she said, is designed for durability and portability – featuring top-grain leather construction, a heavy-duty waterproof lining, closed-cell insulation and a 12-ounce worsted wool exterior in classic Scottish Wallace tartan.
Additional features, she said, include a solid brass zipper with double pulls, a reinforced body that stays upright when full and a removable insulated bottom panel.
“It is a great cooler, but there are many other uses for it as well,” she said. “I actually use mine as a work bag. It holds a laptop computer perfectly and is very fashion-forward and useful.”
The Skotch Grill – priced at $185 – Lenz said, is designed for backyard barbecues or cabana cookouts, offering a compact and functional option for outdoor cooking.
The grill’s double-walled construction, she said, retains heat, while air-cooled ventilation and a burn-proof, easy-to-clean fire pot make it practical to use.
Lenz said the lid functions as a serving tray, and the handle allows for easy transport.
“You can use it as a grill, a firewood holder or even a Christmas tree holder,” she said.
Lenz said the classic Skotch Jug – priced at $165 – is built for tailgating, camping or backyard gatherings.
She said it holds two gallons, features heavy-duty insulation to maintain temperature and has a wide-mouth opening for easy cleaning.
“It’s perfect for mixing up a batch of old-fashioneds for a party,” she said.
The price point is similar to the original Skotch Koolers from the 1950s, Lenz said, emphasizing the product’s quality and iconic status.
The most popular four-gallon cooler originally sold for $12.95 to $14.95, which she said is roughly $140 to $165 in today’s dollars, making the modern pricing comparable.
“They last forever,” she said. “This isn’t something for the throw-away lifestyle of today. It is an investment piece. This is a lifestyle.”
For now, Lenz said she is selling from the inventory she acquired with the Skotch Kooler trademark, but has bigger plans for the plaid coolers, grills and jugs.
“My next phase will be deciding where the company goes from here,” she said. “I’m hoping to find a small business that has a similar philosophy to establish a relationship with and begin manufacturing them again in the United States.”
Over the decades, Skotch Koolers has journeyed from the Sinatra-era 1950s through the “Mad Men” style of the 1960s and now into today’s nostalgia-driven 2020s, and through it all, Lenz said, the products have always stood for one thing.
“Skotch Koolers has always meant good times with family and friends,” she said. “My dream is to bring that back.”
Lenz said Skotch Koolers are available at White Arrows Home store, 7735 U.S. Highway 51 in Minocqua, and can also be purchased online at whitearrowshometheshop.com or skotchkoolerusa.com.
