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What to Put in a Hip Flask
There are few sounds more reassuring on a cold morning than the soft clink of a hip flask. The day has barely started, someone is insisting they’re “only having a small one”, and the dogs are behaving like they’ve forgotten the plan. A good flask cuts through all of that. It’s not decoration. It’s quiet optimism in metal form.
A flask says the day will improve, no matter how wayward the weather, the horses or the general organisation. The question is what to put in it.
Made for a proper hip flask
G&D is Gin and Dubonnet bottled with intent. Balanced, civilised and quietly mischievous. Warm enough to earn its place on a cold morning. Refined enough to behave itself. Exactly the sort of thing a hip flask was made for.
Made for a proper hip flask
G&D is Gin and Dubonnet bottled with intent. Balanced, civilised and quietly mischievous. Warm enough to earn its place on a cold morning. Refined enough to behave itself. Exactly the sort of thing a hip flask was made for.
The Rules of a Proper Hip Flask
A flask isn’t a bar and it isn’t a cocktail shaker. It rewards simplicity and a touch of restraint.
A proper flask drink should:
Hold its nerve in the cold
Taste decent after a bumpy journey
Survive a few hours without turning strange
Warm the chest without making you regret everything by mid-morning
That’s the brief. Fortunately, Britain has had a long time to work this out.
The classic British choices
Whisky
Neat, bracing and as unwavering as the keeper. Classic for a reason.
Sloe gin
Sweet, sharp and very shareable. Especially useful if someone claims their batch is the best in the county.
Port or brandy
The stirrup cup tradition. Deep, warming and usually guarantees the Master overlooks at least one minor calamity.
Cherry brandy
Faintly scandalous, refuses to die, and quite right to survive. A winter favourite you never quite expect to love as much as you do.
These are excellent. But there is a modern option that deserves a place in every flask.
Why gin and fortified wine work in a flask
Spirits alone can feel one‑note. Fortified wines can feel heavy. Gin gives backbone. Fortified wine gives warmth. Together they make a perfectly sensible travelling companion.
The late Queen and the Queen Mother were famously fond of Dubonnet and gin, which shows this combination is more than a curiosity. It is a tradition that has quietly proven itself over time. Wikipedia
Smooth. Strong. Elegant. No fiddling required. Exactly what a flask needs.
The modern British choice: G&D
G&D was made for days like these.
It takes the best of gin and dubonnet, balances them carefully, and settles at a civilised 23 percent. Enough presence to keep you warm. Enough elegance to keep you upright. It slips into a flask with the confidence of something that knows exactly what it is doing.
Rich enough to satisfy. Light enough to remain sociable. 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.
G&D is bottled as an expression of the Spirit of British Mischief.
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HIP FLASK ETIQUETTE
Nobody writes these down, yet everyone seems to know them.
Offer it round if you are 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 is in working order and not some ghastly experiment.
Do not 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.
Do not overfill it. Hip flasks are not intended to drown the entire field.
Rinse it after the day so you are not greeted with last season’s surprise aroma.
That is really it. Nothing formal. Just decent manners and a bit of common sense among friends in tweed.
What not to put in a hip flask
A brief public service announcement:
Anything fizzy
Anything with dairy
Anything with citrus
Anything you would 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.
In short
A hip flask carries more than a drink. It carries warmth, a small ceremony, and the simple pleasure of being prepared. Fill it with something that behaves well.
G&D does exactly that.
Poured with intent. Enjoyed on principle.