Written by Menswear Style in Food & Drink on the 17th April 2015

Whisky. If ever a liquid embodied the spirit of Manliness, whisky is it. The clear, honest colour of distilled grain is suffused with care, knowledge, strength - and a little bit of luck. Gentleman Jack indeed. The tradition of sitting back and knocking back a dram is centuries old. Indeed, Jesus may have been a dab hand at turning water into wine, but it was his ardent monk followers whom we have to thank for adding malt mash to the process and creating something a little stronger.

A similar religious devotion is still used today by the world’s distilleries, both large and small, to create quality whisky, complex enough to be savoured leisurely, and with enough heft to match vermouth in a cocktail glass.

Whisky’s noble roots can even be found in its name. The monks referred to it rather grandly in Latin as Aqua Vitae, “water of life”. In Gaelic: uisce beatha. Whisky. Yet all too often we abandon this earthly ambrosia in favour of gin, vodka, wine and Pimms. We feel that unless we have the time to sink back into a sumptuous armchair, spaniel at our feet, and savour every drop, we ought to drink something else. 

If we’re joining friends for a boozy occasion then it’s much simpler to grab a can of something from the supermarket. You can’t give whisky the respect it deserves with the usual picnic tools of plastic cups and aluminium tins. Nor would anyone in their right minds cart a whole bottle of the good stuff to waste at a party.

So SWIG have decided to do something about it. They've created the world’s first brand of artisan hip flasks for the urban whisky drinker. Why? Because a whisky hasn’t spent decades in an oak cask just to gather dust in a cabinet - or worse, end up in any old vessel. Good scotch, good bourbon, good whisky, deserves a great flask. And so does its drinker. 

Therefore, SWIG’s true merit is the place it holds in a gentleman’s style. The flask’s interchangeable pouches are that extra little detail a connoisseur appreciates, think a pocket square with purpose. From handmade Harris Tweed, to wet-moulded leather from Andalucia, SWIG has ensured there’s a pouch for every man - whether he’s clutching a twelve bore in the Highlands, or an iPhone in the City, cheering England on in the Ashes, or sampling EPs in Hackney.

What’s more, every flask designates its owner a unique SWIG number, adding individuality to quality. When you own a SWIG, you gift yourself the opportunity to have your own #SWIGmoment.

A look at the hipflask maker known as SWIG who make cool Hip Flasks for the Urban Whisky Drinker.