There are few sounds as encouraging as the clink of a hip flask on a cold morning. The shoot hasn’t quite got going, the hounds are milling about like they’ve lost their homework, and someone in tweed is insisting they’re “only having a small one” which you know is the first of several.
A good flask isn’t decoration. It’s a quiet nod of experience. A small, flat promise that the day will improve, no matter how muddy the Land Rover or how wayward the horses.
So what should you actually put in it?
The Rules of a Proper Hip Flask
A flask isn’t a cocktail shaker and it isn’t your kitchen bar. Keep it simple. Keep it strong. Keep it sensible enough that you won’t disgrace yourself before elevenses.
A proper hip flask drink should:
• Hold its nerve in the cold
• Taste decent even after a bumpy gallop
• Survive a few hours without turning odd
• Warm the chest without starting a small internal bonfire
The Classic British Choices
These have been riding around in people’s pockets since the first chap thought “this day needs fortifying.”
Whisky at the shoot
Neat, bracing and as unwavering as the keeper. A classic for a reason.
Port or brandy for the hunt
The stirrup cup tradition. Deep, warming and guaranteed to make the Master overlook at least one minor calamity.
Sloe gin at the point-to-point
Sweet, sharp and very shareable. Especially useful if you're chatting up someone who claims their sloe gin is “the best in the county.”
Cherry brandy at the races
A faintly scandalous favourite that refuses to die. Quite right too.
Why Gin and Fortified Wine Work in a Flask
Here’s where things get interesting. Spirits alone can be a bit one-note. Fortified wines can feel heavy. But together they produce a perfect travelling companion.
Gin brings the backbone. Fortified wine brings the warmth. The Queen herself understood this better than most. Her preferred mix of gin and Dubonnet is exactly the kind of drink that behaves beautifully in a flask.
Smooth. Strong. Elegant. No fiddling required. Which brings us neatly to the modern answer to the question…
The Modern British Choice: G&D
G&D was made for days like these.
A bold mix of Blackeye Gin and quality fortified wine, ready to pour, perfectly balanced and sitting at a very civilised 23 percent. It slips into a flask with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
Rich enough to satisfy. Light enough to keep you upright. Mischievous enough to make the morning a little more interesting.
Whisky says safe. Port says predictable. G&D says you understand the art of drinking properly.
Ideal for afternoons that resist conclusion.
Ideal for afternoons that resist conclusion.
Hip Flask Etiquette
Nobody writes these down, but everyone seems to know them.
• Offer it round if you’re with friends. A flask is meant to be shared, not guarded like the crown jewels.
• Take a small sip first before passing it. It shows it’s in working order and not some ghastly experiment.
• Don’t force it on anyone. Some people prefer tea until midday. Let them keep their dignity.
• Keep the cap in your hand when offering the flask, rather than leaving it dangling open.
• Don’t overfill it. Hip flasks aren’t intended to drown the entire field.
• Rinse it after the day so you’re not greeted with last season’s surprise aroma.
That’s really it. Nothing formal. Just decent manners and a bit of common sense between friends in tweed.
What Not to Put in a Hip Flask
Consider this a public service announcement:
• Anything fizzy
• Anything with dairy
• Anything with citrus
• Anything you’d drink from a paper umbrella
• Anything described as a “mixologist’s creation”
If it belongs at a beach bar, it has no business at a shoot.
Poured with intent. Finished on principle.
Poured with intent. Finished on principle.
The Founder’s Batch
600 Bottles Ever.
Not widely available… by design. G&D’s inaugural release comes in a limited batch of just 600 bottles. We made enough for the right number of people
The ones who value a well-kept ritual – and no more.
Once they’re gone, they’re truly gone (there won’t be another run this year).
