One of the most important events in the evolution of the flask was Prohibition. These politically fueled flasks were produced throughout the Civil War, during which they promoted the Union, presidential candidates or other American issues, like the construction of the railroad. Some historical flasks-as they’re known to collectors-feature American imagery like eagles and flags, as well as presidential portraits. exploded and glass flasks were used to not only carry a healthy measure of whiskey, but also to convey a statement, often a political one. Toward the end of the Industrial Revolution, in the early to mid-1800s, the glass industry in the U.S. But it didn’t take long for more humble variations on these tools to find their way into the hands of ordinary European citizens and stateside drinkers. During the Victorian era, it wasn’t unusual to find ornate pocket flasks fashioned out of precious metals, or a combination of glass and precious metal. They often took the shape of a flattened oval and could be found on any British aristocrat worth his waistcoat. The production and availability of these newfangled sidekicks skyrocketed in the following years. With the newfound ease of acquiring liquor, drinkers needed a tool that made it equally easy to transport and conceal it-enter the true precursor to the modern day hip flask: the pocket flask. Around the same time, distillation also gained a commercial foothold throughout Europe. The flask didn’t reach the zenith of its practicality and commercial appeal until one very important invention in the 17th century: pockets. Soldiers soon realized that the flask had potential beyond the battlefield, and crafty civilians soon followed suit, filling them with alcohol. Often made from metal, staghorn or leather, the powder flask’s spout was narrow and used to pour gunpowder directly down a rifle’s muzzle-or booze down a throat. Up until the mid- to late-19th century, soldiers commonly carried a container filled with gunpowder on a string around their necks on the battlefield. The relatively crude wineskin was one of the first portable vessels of its kind, making it a distant ancestor of the modern day hip flask, but the handy pocket pal we know today is actually more closely related to powder flasks or horns carried by military men. Fun fact: Though the wineskin is more or less lost to the sands of time, its basic design endures inside your favorite boxed wine. In Henry IV, for example, Hal (or Prince Harry) mischievously awakens Falstaff from a deep sleep by squirting him in the face with wine from a wineskin. Wineskins were must-have accessories that were so ubiquitous, that they garnered mentions as far back as Homer’s epic poems and, later, in Shakespeare’s plays. In the beginning, there was the wineskin, a vessel fashioned from animal bladder cured with beeswax and used to transport liquid-often wine-from one place to another.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |