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Hiding a Wee Dram? The History of the Hip Flask
Hip Flasks have certainly come a long way since their origin. Did you know that during the 18th century, women would take pig's bladders, fill them with gin and hide them under their petticoats to smuggle them onto British warships?
Traditionally, pewter, silver and sometimes even glass was used to make hip flasks. They began to appear in the form that we recognise today during the 18th century, and were initially used by members of the gentry. Hip flasks have traditionally been thin, with a curve and size whose shape alludes to the human kidney. Quite evidently, this allows it to be easily pressed against one's body so that it is better concealed.
Hip flasks are among the most popular items sold on ScotlandShop and all for good reason! We all love a good drink, everyone has their favourite and we all have those occasions where we need to secretly stash our alcohol of choice!
Why Is It Called a Hip Flask?
As the name suggests, most people would usually conceal them alongside their hips - either in their pockets, belts, waistbands, or even kilts! Hip flasks can vary in shape and size, although they are commonly contoured to match the curve of the wearer's hip or thigh, for comfort and discretion. Many modern hip flasks have captive tops which prevent the lid from being lost, which is quite handy considering what they are used for!
A History of Hip Flasks
In the middle ages, gutted fruit was sometimes used to store alcoholic drinks. During the 1700's, women would often smuggle their spirits onto British warships using pig's bladders (as mentioned above)! These rudimentary flasks paved the way for what we now called the modern hip flask. In the United States today, carrying a hip flask could see you in contravention of open container laws, either on the street or by possessing one in the glovebox of your car. However, this hasn't stopped hip flasks from being an incredibly popular gift for occasions such as birthdays, weddings or graduations.
Prohibition and Hip Flasks in America
Prohibition radically changed drinking in America and if you wanted a drink, it was best to conceal it. Around this time, the watch and the hip flask traded places: the wristwatch became commonplace and the hip flask found its way into the urban gentleman's collection of accessories (link) around 1920, when it gained its name. The word "hipster" was used to identify people that carried hip flasks during Prohibition. Here's a fun fact - more hip flasks were sold in the first six months of Prohibition than during the entire previous decade!
Fill Your Flask
The big question is what should you put in your hip flask? The most common answer: hard liquor only! Whether you're a whisky lover or a gin enthusiast, fill your flask and be on your way. You can get hip flasks as small as 1oz (perfect for a key ring) and as big as 48oz!
We recently spoke to Rod Gillies of The Borders Distillery, who gave us an insightful overview about drinking whisky from a hip flask:
Sipping whisky from a hip flask is a different experience to having a dram in a glass. The narrower opening of the flask doesn't offer much aroma - reducing the intensity and variety of the flavours you'll pick up. To counteract this, you could pick a whisky with a little more flavour punch or smoke than you'd normally choose. Alternatively, hold the whisky in your mouth longer than usual, rolling the spirit around your tongue as you take a couple of breaths in and out through the nose. This way, you're able to enjoy a wee nip from your flask whilst still picking up the glorious flavours of your favourite spirit.
Your Personalised Hip Flask
Never go without a wee dram! Hip flasks can be the perfect gift for a loved one in your life and with clan personalisation available, you can check out the range here. With Burns Night coming up, get your hip flask ready, get the Whisky in and be on your way to celebrating one of Scotland's favourite traditions the right way!
As you can see, the Hip Flask has had quite the journey! If you want to find out more about Hip Flasks, then you can do so here. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.
