*This SWIG Hip Flask was kindly sent to me as a gift to review by SWIG. All opinions expressed are honest and completely my own*
SWIG HIP FLASK
Last week I popped back home for a few days to see family and friends, amongst other things. However in spite of the many things I was expecting upon my arrival back home, having my Mum present me with a parcel with my name on it was definitely not one of those things. Unless I've been naughty and whacked out the old debit card, ordering lots of music and books and other random goods off of Amazon (oh the wild life I lead), parcels addressed specifically to me rarely come my way. But not this time dear readers, no not this time, for I was lucky enough recently to be asked by the relatively new British company SWIG, if I would like to pick one of their gorgeous hip flasks to review on this blog. Naturally I jumped at the chance, most of all because it was a great opportunity to help support a fantastic independent business (more on that later!) and so I chose my flask, and when it finally arrived, I must say I did fall a little bit in love with it. And now, as I casually sip Triple Sec from my SWIG flask whilst writing this post for you lovely people, I can't wait to tell you all about both SWIG and the beautiful flask itself ...
Olaf and Dan, over at the aptly named SWIG, founded the company in 2013 after realising there was a massive gap in the British market for high quality, well made, aesthetic hip flasks. I'm sure that like myself, you'll be aware of the abundance of hip flasks already out there, ones that are adorned with witty slogans, or in the case of one of my friends, a whole lot of glitter. Hip flasks are a rather personal thing after all, with people choosing a hip flask that best reflects their personality and approach to alcohol consumption. However if you stop to think about the hip flask market, it does become blindingly obvious that those classy, reliable, beautiful hip flasks, the ones you imagine great historical figures concealing in their trouser pockets, or the ones that could be passed down from one generation to the next, don't really seem to exist. Which is why what SWIG Flasks are cleverly doing, creating such finely crafted hip flasks to plug that glaring gap in the market, seems all the more admirable. And what's more, SWIG is a company that has been lovingly and gradually grown from those very first seeds of inspiration, right through to the meteoric success the company is deservedly basking in now. The kind of success where global domination, one hip flask at a time seems a highly achievable ambition. Adversities have been overcome, risks have been taken, mistakes made and lessons learnt, with the hard work, honesty, passion and belief that forms the heart of SWIG, fuelling the company onwards and upwards. Of course the fact that their very well made product is essentially the first of its kind, and a forerunner in not only the hip flask market but the alcohol industry too, helps just a little bit as well. It really is a fantastic product produced by fantastic people, and I don't say that lightly either. All you need to do is go onto the SWIG website, and read all the gushing plentiful reviews, alongside more about the company's inspiring story, to see what I (and the BBC, and the UK government, and the Queen herself) mean. Just like the flasks themselves, SWIG is a reliable and unique company that you want to support.
However by now, I suspect that you've noticed how much I've been harping on about these fabulous hip flasks, and you probably want me to cut to the chase and tell you more about them, which of course I duly will. The hip flask I was lucky enough to choose was the Harris Tweed Red Flask, and my reasons for choosing it were mostly due to the beautiful handmade Tweed pouch, in which the hip flask was enclosed. Made from stainless steel to avoid harmful toxins, all SWIG hip flasks (aside from the original Naked flask) come enclosed in a growing variety of equally well crafted leather or tweed pouches, adding both an element of decoration and protection to the flask. Likewise the flasks can be engraved and also bought with additional products such as handwritten, wax sealed notes and glassware too. The flask itself is incredibly light to hold with soft curved edges, it fits perfectly into the palm of your hand or in trouser pockets and handbags, and is large enough to contain up to 5 shots. It maintains alcohol quality perfectly, prevents any leakages, is easy to wash and although the stainless steel does pick up fingerprints (perhaps the company may invest in matte versions too in future?), with the accompanying pouch this rarely occurs and in the chance that it should, fingerprints are very easy to rub off. What's more, SWIG hip flasks are gender neutral in their design, meaning they make the perfect gift for any person and of any age too, and each hip flask also comes with its own 'society number' engraved on its surface, a lovely idea meaning that with purchasing your hip flask, you automatically become part of the worldwide SWIG society.
As you can probably guess, SWIG hip flasks aren't cheap, with the cheapest currently selling for just over forty pounds, and if you're a bit of a Scrooge like me, then that kind of price tag can understandably seem off-putting. Likewise I'm a student on a budget and a cider loving gal too (usually because of convenience), though I do have a particular penchant for rum, and so the idea of purchasing and using a hip flask is a somewhat foreign concept to me. However now that I have this stunning little beauty to keep my rum in, I think I might just have to start ditching those cans of cider and carry my hip flask around with me instead. After all, there's something kind of sincere and almost special about taking your hip flask with you as you go about the adventures of your life. In the same way you remember drinking cans of cider with your friends back in the day (obviously I haven't quite passed this stage yet), the kind of fond memories that evokes, the significant markers it attaches to your life, you'll remember everything about your hip flask too. However this time, it's a new rite of passage, acquiring your hip flask. A nod to your ever growing sophistication and maturity, your forays in to adulthood, your development as a person. A way to commemorate this particular time in your life, and all those wonderful times still to come, and maybe one day you'll pass that beloved hip flask of yours down to the next generation, in the hopes that it's the perfect accompaniment to their ensuing adventures in life too. Because just like you'd invest in a sublime piece of jewellery, a designer piece of clothing, this year's winter coat, that new piece of technology, choosing to purchase a SWIG flask, either as a treat for yourself or a meaningful gift for another, is just that: an investment. The hip flask itself is a wise investment, a fantastic product, with its high quality craftsmanship intended to last a lifetime, as is investing in SWIG as a company a rather wise decision too. These guys genuinely care about their products and what customers think of them, and want to keep providing that excellent customer service, alongside developing SWIG to make it even better than it already is, and that's something that I personally find rather endearing.
So whether you're a spirit lover or not, heck maybe you just want a classy container for your diet coke instead. Whether you like hip flasks or not, or maybe you've never really thought about purchasing one before. Whether you or someone you know is looking for that perfect timeless gift to buy a loved one, or you find yourself looking for that perfect gift sometime in the future. Whatever your predicament, I would highly, highly recommend heading over to SWIG Flasks and taking a look at their beautiful range of products, because if they can make a cider enthusiast like myself seriously consider switching to rum, just so I can flaunt my gorgeous hip flask, then they must be pretty darn good.
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