When I was growing up you would only see a hip flask in the presence of the ‘older’ gentlemen within the family at gatherings you didn’t really want to be at and wished you had a sneaky stash of liquor to help keep you topped up forgetting where you actually were.
As times have moved on the hip flask has been making more and more of entrance with the younger generation. Maybe this has something to do with the increasing prices behind the bar and the want to keep the expenditure down when enjoying that football do / stag party / hen do ‘Leo Slayer’.
Yes I mention the hen party as I have noticed more and more of my female drinking companions carrying with them their favourite tipple in their own gross pink flasks.
With this new age of ‘hip’ flask users came the need for a quality product.
Up stepped David Galbraith. David established SWIG (www.swigflasks.com) back in 2013. He took a massive risk and sold everything he owned with his sole aim to pursue his dream of making the world’s most reliable hip flask brand. A seamless product that could not leak which also adopts a wide range of hand-made personalised leather pouches to enable you to make your flask your own.
I was recently lucky enough to receive a flask of my own from David so I could try it out for myself. Along with my SWIG Flask, packaged in a swanky gift box, with a hand tied ribbon came by Executive Union Jack leather pouch. My flask neatly placed on top of its own little travel pillow.
Each flask is engraved with a unique number which is in fact your own lifetime membership number to the ‘SWIG Society’. The benefits of being part of this society, other than being in the same membership group as the Prime Minister, a Rock Star, and members of the Lords and possibly most importantly David’s Mum, I get a free replacement lid should I lose it.
This replacement service is going to ensure you never need another flask, ever. The flask is superbly made and as David’s aim is seamless and unless you lose the lid will never leak ensuring you never have a need for an alternate flask.
Now as you know (because I told you two paragraphs ago) I opted for the Executive Union Jack Leather pouch, you do have options to make the flask your own. Among them are:
Executive – These are available in many colours and designs and are probably the most popular addition to the naked flask.
Magnetic Executive – Limited edition and similar to the executive pouch I have but with a magnetic flap. Available in Black, Blue and Brown.
Tweed – Exclusive Harris Tweed pouches in various colours.
Scottish Heritage – Limited edition leather pouch, this has been receiving rave reviews online.
Nucco Brain – A quick look on the website shows some very limited edition colourful pouches in varying designs.
Once you have your flask, whether naked or in your chosen pouch, I recommend purchasing a pouch or you will forever be cleaning the flask of fingerprints.
Now you have to decide where you are going to take your flask for its first outing, is it that family wedding, Royal Ascot, Wimbledon or some other sporting event, Reading, Leeds or V Festival, no matter where you take it you will have the best hip flask on the market today looking after your favourite tipple.
My first outing was actually in bed, topped up with Angostura 1919, helping me get through man flu! I will try and ensure its second outing is a little more exciting!
www.swigflasks.com
Keep an eye out on my blog for details of an upcoming competition where you can win your very own Swig Flask.
