We didn't start RUGD because we spotted a gap in a spreadsheet. We started it because we were annoyed.

Every camping trip, weekend away and day on the water went the same way: a travel mug for the coffee, a stubby cooler for the arvo beer, a water bottle, and a bottle opener that always ended up in the wrong bag. This is the StubCup story, and really the RUGD story too, told by the two of us who built it out of a garage on the Sunshine Coast.

Quick answer: the StubCup story starts in 2022, when we, Malin and Andre, started RUGD in our garage on the Sunshine Coast, QLD, wanting one insulated cup for the morning coffee and the afternoon beer. After a lot of prototypes, the StubCup launched in October 2023. Today RUGD has 20,000+ customers, the StubCup has 1,000+ reviews, and we run everything, including engraving, from our warehouse in Baringa.

The problem we wanted to solve

The pile of drink gear was the annoying bit. Between the two of us, the containers took up a ridiculous amount of room in the esky before a single drink went in. We wanted one cup that would keep the coffee hot on the drive to the campsite, keep a beer cold through the afternoon, sit in the cupholder, and have a bottle opener built in so it could never go missing.

We went looking for one that did all of that the way we wanted, and came up empty. So, with no product design experience between us, we decided to have a crack at building it ourselves.

The StubCup story: from garage to prototype

RUGD started in 2022 in our garage. What looks simple from the outside, a stainless steel cup with a lid, turned out to be months of prototypes, material testing and lid design, plus a lot of late-night conversations about vacuum insulation, silicone hardness and powder coat adhesion. It was humbling.

We tested early versions the way we knew best: camping, fishing, the school run and the footy. We handed them to mates without telling them what to look for, then watched where they struggled. One version leaked a little when it tipped. One base was a fraction too wide for some cupholders. One opener didn't have quite enough leverage on a thick-capped longneck. Every problem went back into the next version.

It took longer than we planned and cost more than we budgeted. But eventually we had a version that handled coffee, cold cans, stubbies and the opener the way we'd pictured it.

Launch: October 2023

The StubCup launched in October 2023. We were still a two-person operation, with no warehouse, no big marketing budget and no real idea whether anyone outside our circle of mates would care.

Then orders started arriving from people we'd never met, and the reviews started rolling in. That was the moment it felt real.

What the StubCup does

The idea hasn't changed since day one. The StubCup is a 5-in-1: a stubby cooler, a can holder, a bottle holder, a coffee cup and a bottle opener built into the base. It's double-wall vacuum-insulated stainless steel with a powder-coated finish, and it keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 6. It holds 400ml, fits standard 330 to 375ml cans and stubbies, comes with a leak-proof sip lid for coffee, and has a slimline base designed to fit standard car cupholders.

It's $49 and comes in 15+ colours. If you want the detail on what matters in a cup like this, we've written about what a multi-use stubby cooler actually needs, and our stubby holder buyer's guide covers the other options out there too.

Growing up: Baringa, a small team and engraving in-house

Since launch, RUGD has grown to 20,000+ customers and the StubCup has passed 1,000 reviews. We're genuinely grateful for every one of them. We never had a big budget to buy attention, so all of it came from people who took a chance on a small brand and then took the time to tell others about it.

We've since moved out of the garage and into our own warehouse in Baringa on the Sunshine Coast, where we work with a small team. Every order ships from there with Australia Post, and we process orders, including engraved ones, within 1 to 2 business days.

We also do our laser engraving in-house at the warehouse. Engraving goes into the powder coat rather than sitting on top, so there's no ink to peel or rub off, and you get a live preview on the cup in your chosen colour before you order. You can personalise a StubCup with up to three lines of text, an image or your own logo, and we quote bulk and corporate orders from 50 units.

The StubJug and StubBoot came next

The StubJug followed, for the drinks a StubCup isn't built for. It's a 1000ml, 18/8 stainless steel 4-in-1 that works as a water bottle, a tallie cooler and a bottle cooler for 750ml longnecks and 600 to 850ml bottles (yes, including a 600ml choccy milk), with a bottle opener in the base. It comes with two lids, a straw lid and a silicone beer lid, and keeps drinks cold for 12 hours and iced for 36.

Then came the StubBoot, a silicone boot that protects the base of your cup or bottle. There's a 400ml one for the StubCup and a 1000ml one for the StubJug.

We still use ours every day

This isn't a line for the website. We both use a StubCup every day: coffee in the morning, a cold drink in the afternoon, and plenty more on weekends away. Using what we sell means we notice the little things. When a customer tells us something could be better, it lands with the two people who designed it and who'll notice the same thing the next time they reach for theirs.

What's next for RUGD

We're not going to announce products before they're ready. What we can tell you is that the approach won't change: build drinkware we actually want to use, test it properly in the places it gets used (the ute, the boat, the campsite, the school run) and keep listening to the people who buy it. Expect new colours and new ideas over time, with the same stubbornness about getting the details right.

StubCup story FAQs

Who makes the StubCup?

The StubCup is by RUGD, the Australian drinkware brand we (Malin Gregor and Andre Ali) started in 2022. We designed it, and we run the business, the engraving and every order from our warehouse on the Sunshine Coast with a small team.

Where does RUGD ship from?

Every order ships with Australia Post from our warehouse in Baringa, QLD. We process orders, including engraved ones, within 1 to 2 business days. Standard shipping usually takes 2 to 6 business days after dispatch, express usually 1 to 2 business days after dispatch to metro areas, and shipping is free on orders over $90.

What warranty comes with the StubCup?

The StubCup comes with a lifetime warranty on vacuum insulation performance, 2 years on the stainless steel body and components, and 6 months on silicone, plastic and soft parts like lids, seals and StubBoots. If something isn't right, email us at hello@getrugd.com and we'll sort it out.

When did the StubCup launch?

The StubCup launched in October 2023, after we started RUGD in our garage in 2022. It's still our flagship.

If you've got a StubCup in your ute, your tackle box or your kitchen cupboard, thank you. You're the reason there's a RUGD story to tell at all. Have a look at every StubCup colour, or drop us a line at hello@getrugd.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Malin and Andre