At initial glance, the idea may seem simplistic, however after trying out the Backyard Butler I was more inclined to say, “Why didn’t I think to produce this product?”.
I was given the opportunity to review the Dual Backyard Butler. To get the product specifics out of the way, the Backyard Butler is “PVC coated high carbon steel, welded 8” spike, has two back to back cup holders, stands 41 inches high, and has a round stable base”.
(Disclaimer: We did receive a sample of the Backyard Butler for free. The fact this sample was provided to us free of charge in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)
As one would probably expect from a product purposed to hold your drink, the Backyard Butler was easy to put together. It came in four pieces. There is the base, supporting pole in two pieces and the dual cup holder. The poles get screwed into the base and the cup holders get screwed into the pole. And when I say screw, it is nothing more than manual turning until fully tight and stable. In all, in took my non-handyman skills to assemble in about one to two minutes. Such ease meant that I quickly disassembled it for easier transporting to Sunday’s Eagles game.
Some of you are probably thinking why do I need a drink holder if I already have a pair of capable hands and a “camping” chair that has a cup holder in the armrest? I can’t argue with you here, but how many of us spend the whole tailgate just sitting in a chair? Not this guy. For us non-squatters, the Backyard Butler is a nice-have at the tailgate. Even better than a nice-have if you are as active as I am at the pre-game party.
The tailgate began with me grilling up some sausages and eggs. As the grill was heating up I quickly reassembled the Backyard Butler. Again, it was together in less than two minutes. I placed the Backyard Butler next to the grill and the height of the cup holder was mid-body. The cup holder held my travel coffee mug (of course spiked coffee!) without any problems. The design of the cup holder, with a built-in bottom, assured that the mug would not fall or spill, despite not having a snug fit.
The Backyard Butler is also very lightweight making carrying it to the cornhole game easy. Setting up next to the game allowed me to drink my beer with ease. There was no need to place the beer bottle on the parking lot ground, with the fear of the beer being knocked over by me or an errant toss of the cornhole bag. As with the coffee mug, the beer bottle rested firmly in the cup holder. Different beverage container, same result.
On a side note (and probably not the intention of the manufacturer), the dual cup colder also makes for good beer pong practice. The cup holder is about the same height as your average beer pong table and the holders hold the red solo cops nicely. Just fill up the cups, stand back and shoot. Author’s note: Despite the extra practice I was not victorious in the true game of beer pong. Even worse? I lost to a Cowboys fan!
As a stated before, the Backyard Butler is a nice have for the tailgate. The purpose is to make things easier for you and it does. The design of the product (not an eye sore) also allows you to use the product indoors (pending if your wife or girlfriend approves). If you are watching a game solo, and the coffee table is out of reach from the couch, just break out the Backyard Butler and you have yet another reason to not move your ass off the couch. If you have a buddy over, just put it between the furniture and now neither of you need to get up!
For further details on the Backyard Butler check out their website ouioutdoors.com/backyard-butlers. In addition to the one I reviewed, where the base/stand lays flat on the ground, there is a model that can be spiked into the ground.