The New Beer Belly

A Nevada-based company has developed a new way to smuggle beer into concerts and sporting events: the Beerbelly, a removable “bladder” that can be concealed underneath clothing.

Considering the price of beer at many venues, it’s not too difficult to imagine the enterprising concertgoer finding such an alternative to the beer line very attractive – and one more thing facility managers and security crews need to look out for.

The contraption, which can be ordered online for $34.95, straps to the midsection with a sling, giving the appearance of a massive gut.

But it’s really a polyurethane bladder that can be filled with a beverage of one’s choice. The removable spare tire holds 80 ounces (about a six-pack) of liquid that can be consumed through a hose, similar to that of a hydration backpack – or a beer bong.

Developers Michael Chiapperini and Paul Goode, of Reno-based Under Development Inc., obtained a design patent for the contraption in 2000, and trademarked the name “Beerbelly.”

They set aside plans to market the product after September 11, 2001, because of tighter security measures at public events, according to the Boston Herald.

“How are you going to sneak beer into a stadium after 9/11?” Chiapperini told the paper.

Apparently, the Beerbelly feels like a legitimate gut. But police reportedly say it could violate open container laws.