DO YOU OWN A FLASK? When do you use it?

I was given a beautiful flask a few years ago. My best friend got it for me as a Christmas present, he bought one for himself and one for me. We often took them with us to ball games, concerts and when traveling. I haven't used it in some time though. I'll have to break it out again soon ; )

Sure, my good friend @paddockjudge, I own a flask. I have only had one the last couple of years, and I use it primarily if I go on the road, or, perhaps to a party. I don't use it often, but I am happy to have it. I love that you can gross people out with a flask of whisk(e)y under certain circumstances. It is good to see people drinking whisk(e)y from a flask. It brings the drink down to the people. And it forces people to observe the spectre of people drinking hard spirits from a flask...right there, right in front of them...oh, the horror!

Yes. Was gifted one for my 18th birthday by my father. I've taken it to games, parties and most recently, filled with Cognac for a conference (had to travel light, so wasn't taking the whole bottle). It was well appreciated by my colleagues after the beer and wine had run out! They were amused that I had some "emergency" booze on hand (but not altogether surprised, for the ones that knew me well).

I don't drink directly out of the flask if there's a chance someone will want a drink out of it.

The flask usually contains an easy drinking (inexpensive) single malt whisky that can be had straight up or with mixers, depending upon the situation.

I'm with @Victor though - the reaction from others is priceless when the flask comes out but I reckon there's nothing wrong with that at all.

I don't have a flask, but I used to sport a wine sack......oh yes, a wine sack. It was pretty vintage, and looked like something a trapper from back in the day would carry in his excursions in the woods.

@StevieC I would love to see someone pull out a wine sack at a party. It could be a new hipster trend - vinyl (records) are back in fashion, why not trapper-style wine sacks? Bring back the sack!

@systemdown, in MY world vinyl records never went out...the sound is so VERY much better,...always has been.

@Victor Fair point, but I was born in the 80's and my earliest format experience was the cassette tape and recording / dubbing off radio and then of course there were CDs..

I attended a gig recently featuring one of my favourite bands and bought their new LP album for a friend of mine (my age) who couldn't attend - he has a massive LP collection and swears by the sound quality. Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree at all - I just haven't spent much time around LPs and the appreciation thereof.

I'm very glad that vinyl LPs are back.. I just missed the boat the first time but it might not miss me this time.

(and please excuse my ignorance in the use of the term "LP" - I probably don't specifically mean LPs but all vinyl in general whether they're standard or extended play blah blah - like I said, I don't really know much about vinyl)

@StevieC, that's fantastic! Do you still have it?

@CanadianNinja, unfortunately I no longer have it...it served its purpose and ran its course....I was putting wine in it, and inexpensive whisky......it didn't last. The sack was actually made from a goat's stomach...how is that for manliness. Ha!

@systemdown......not too sure how the "new-age hipsters" would take to this.....they are likely sipping their flavoured vodkas and strawberry daiquiris, listening to some syntho-pop music. They probably wouldn't notice because they are too fixated on their iPhones or engaged in geeky tech talk. Meh, not my scene.

Yesss I got a nice small one together with the Coal Ila 18 with the Caol Ila logo on it. I use it at concerts and when travelling mostly. Its nice to have a good whisky when your favorite band is playing, its busy up front and you dont want to give up your hard fought spot to get beer:)

Right now I've got two flask. One my wife gave me that's glass, leather, and silver. It's fairly small and goes out with me to nicer events and short trips away from home. She gave that one to me for our four anniversary. Since it's glass I don't feel bad about leaving sprits in it for extended periods or time, it's great for putting the remainder of a bottle it.

Now my other flask is plastic and goes out to all kinds of events. It is food grade plastic, specifically made to hold liquor. If it gets taken away it's not the end of the world and it won't break. It's especially handy when going through metal detectors at concerts. This flask has saved me lots of cash over the years and is particularly handy when the venues alcohol selection is less than seller.

So, I use them for many purposes, but ultimately I'm cheap. I too love the looks of unsuspecting on lookers when you break it out. Most of the time I hear, I should have brought mine.

@paddockjudge Great discussion. Yes I own three flasks two are modern and one is for civil war re-enacting. I use them only in the most rule breaking way that I can. The two modern ones come with me to sporting events with fellow veterans and I put blended whiskies in them to mix in sodas. The antique looking one get's brandy or a single malt from any distillery that was producing whisky before 1860's that way I can maintain a sense of historical accuracy. Thanks for this awesome thread sometimes it feels so good to break rules. :)

Just one flask, given to me as a gift by my older brother at his wedding. I rarely use it, except for as part of a costume (Prohibition era Arkham Horror games, where we come in costume as the character we're controlling, and if you use the 'Whiskey' card to prevent sanity loss, you have to drink some whiskey).

I have a flask that I was given by my co workers many years ago. I take it to a party and weddings where it might be needed . It is great to see peoples faces when you pull out the flask , its either disgust or total joy.

I've got one... got it just about a year ago, a gift from my hero, a dear friend, who is a brother to me. Gave it to me at his wedding, and wrote an inscription on it. It's one of my most precious treasures. I use it when I want to remember the good times hanging out, and have a drink in his honor, or some of our friends.

"DO YOU OWN A FLASK?"

Not yet, but I will...

@buoy37 WHO IS YOUR DADDY AND WHAT DOES HE DO!?

I own a couple, and of course I use it. Usually it's got buffalo trace in it and it comes out if it's cold and I'm not driving. I have an all day meeting Friday, maybe I'll bring it.

I too have one. The Dewar/Aberfeldy rep gave it to me at a Scotch Malt Whisky Society Extravaganza a number of years ago. It's leather wrapped with the Dewars logo and holds about half again as much as the contemporary Dewars give-away flask. I use it for one purpose--on hikes into the mountains. Sometimes I'll put Glencairns or at least small snifters in the backpack. One can still show civility at the summit of a 9,000 or 10,000-foot mountain, ya?

@Victor no one looks at me funny when I pull the flask out of the pack. I don't get it!?! :-)

@two-bit-cowboy, the day that the city-slickers crowd the Wyoming peaks with disapproving glances will be the day that the two-bit-cowboy packs up and finds himself a new frontier, I reckon.

@Victor True enough! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and to all.

Yes, I use it at parties and sometimes if I'm travelling (never behind the wheel, of course). The last time was on a trip to Scotland, where we bought a Kilchoman 100% Islay and filled the flask, kept the rest of the bottle stashed, and continued to drink through Campbeltown and Edinburgh. Wheeee!

Flask inventory is climbing as 'wondering' flasks have returned home to roost. Kris Kringel gifted me with an extra-large flask this Christmas. It is of the same quality and with similar proportions to most stainless steel 6 oz. hip flasks...ONE U.S. GALLON. That is equal to 5 bottles!!! Apparently it fits nicely in a saddle bag...whoah boy, easy now.

@paddockjudge

The only flask I have is the one I received from 40 creek at the masterclass. I can't think of when I would use it.

@paddockjudge, a GALLON?! Yowza!

If you search Google Images for "gallon flask," you find lots of funny pictures of people holding huge flasks. Is it like that?

I have a steel flask that I bought from a shop on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, from the lady who claims to be the only Scottish person running any of those shops full of Scottish souvenirs. I use it all the time. Besides the convenience of fitting right in my pants pocket, I like that it's whisky you can bring to someone's house without encountering awkward questions about taking it back home with you when you leave. Nobody expects a flask-toting guest to leave the flask behind. But a bottle?

•Bottle of wine? You definitely leave it.

•Loose beers left over from pack you brought? You leave them.

•The remaining portion of a bottle of whisky you brought over? That might get dicey.

@OlJas, Yes, a big flask like those in the pictures. It sure would be nice to fill that with W L Weller ...and then empty it with the help of some Connosr members;)

I have a couple. One is metal (steel?) and the other is plastic. The plastic one is great for bringing to sporting events or any other venue where you may be subject to metal detectors. The steel one is quite a bit more sturdy...but I've always been concerned about the flask interacting with the liquid inside, resulting in metallic tasting spirit.

Folks, how do you clean your hip flasks? I have one that has had something old and non-too tasty swilling around in the bottle for a good few years now and would like to bring it back into active service. What's the protocol?