Hip flask

For the comic book character, see Hip Flask (comics).

A hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage; its size and shape are suited to a trouser pocket.

Description

Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel. Some modern flasks are made of plastic so as to avoid detection by metal detectors.

Hip flasks can vary in shape, although they are usually contoured to match the curve of the wearer's hip or thigh, for comfort and discretion. Some flasks have "captive tops" which is a small arm which attaches the top to the flask to stop it from getting lost when it's taken off.

A hip flask is most commonly purchased, and then filled by the owner. However, the term "flask" also applies to smallest bottle sizes of alcohol in commercial markets. Some flasks come with small cups to make sharing easier, although generally liquid is drunk directly from the flask.

Engraving

The hip flask is popular as a commemorative item, often being engraved. The Modern Drunkard Magazine describes the engraved flask as the best present one can give. The engravings may be a short quote, the recipient's initials, toasts, dates of memorable occasions, or signs of friendship.

History

Hip flask tucked into a garter during Prohibition

The hip flask began to appear in the form recognized today in the 18th century, initially used by members of the gentry. However, less compact versions had been in production for several centuries. Notably, in the Middle Ages, there are several accounts of gutted fruit being used to store liquor. During the 18th century, women boarding docked British warships would smuggle gin into the ship via makeshift flasks, created from pig's bladders and hidden inside their petticoats. Following the act of prohibition in 1920s America, the state of Indiana banned the sale of cocktail shakers and hip flasks.

Antique hip flasks, particularly those made of silver, are now sought-after collector's items. The hip flask appears frequently in comedy, in part because it allows drinking in inappropriate situations where a bottle would not normally be found--for instance, in Two and a Half Men, where Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) drinks alcohol from a hip flask during a funeral.

In the Royal Air Force, "hip-flask" was used as code for a revolver.

Legality

Carrying a hip flask in a public place is illegal in many locations in the United States due to open container laws which prohibit possession of an unsealed container of alcohol in public or within the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

See also

• Canteen — similar design and function

External links

• Article mentioning the banning of Hip Flasks
• RAF codes
• How to Clean a Flask