Liberate Your Occupied Mixologist with WWII-Era Fuel Can Minibars
Danish Fuel upcycles old jerry cans that give your home a vintage-modern vibe.
Image: Danish Fuel/Kickstarter
They are the gasoline cans that won the Second World War, according to President Roosevelt, and after the war was over, there were millions of them spread across Europe. With the fighting over and no need for vast amounts of fuel to be dragged around, what was left to do with them?
Dutch design company Danish Fuel saw an opportunity. Take the antique containers, cut them open and turn them into customizable luxury minibar cabinets. Pick a color and one of six wood veneers for the interior, and you’ve got yourself a useable piece of history. The company did this successfully until earlier this year, when their workshop burned to the ground and their insurance claim was denied. So, they did what any smart 21st-century company in a pinch would do—they took to Kickstarter to sell their “upcycled” antiques. With the campaign ending on December 3rd, Danish Fuel has raised over $61,000—nearly twice what they had originally hoped for.
Mixology aficionados and design geeks can still buy cabinets at deep discount on the Kickstarter page.
At the lower end of the price spectrum (and low is relative), you can get a reproduction of the first-ever can—the German Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister—with walnut shelves and a black finish for $399 (half the retail price). For $475, you can get a bar cabinet made from an authentic Danish Army can that was used in action between 1946 and 2004 (the company gets its cans from army surplus stores).
For $634, you’ll get an original British can from between 1939 to 1945. These cabinets feature the year of production stamped on the body, and come shipped in an ammunition crate with a certificate of authenticity. And for $789, you can have a Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister from the same war period.
Fill them with your favorite glassware and beverages, or stock up with Danish Fuel-brand booze and bar kits. Whether you hang it on the wall or keep it on a table, these cans would be a striking addition to any room.
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