Life today has its advantages over the 19th century. Lots of them. People live longer and don’t stink (as much). But somewhere along the way, we lost sight of what was really important—carrying a flask. Perhaps life was just so damn horrible back then that nobody wanted to be more than five seconds away from a shot of liquid relief, but it’s the future, damn it, and you should be able to celebrate it with a swig of your favorite spirit wherever you are.
From inexpensive plastic to ornately crafted pewter, from space-age titanium to old-world ceramic, we’ve rounded up the most interesting flasks that aren’t just a bunch of pretty faces. They’re damn good flasks that’ll protect that precious cargo inside from leaks and cracks, although we can’t promise any of them will protect it from thirsty, greedy friends and bystanders who want a sip when you unveil you’re carrying liquid heaven.
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Quick Look at the Best Flasks
- Best all ’rounder – GSI Outdoors Glacier Flask
- The toughest – Stanley Classic Flask
- Most traditional – English Pewter Company Flask
- Best for long-term storage – Ragproper Glass Flask
- On a budget – Zippo Flask
- Lightweight and durable – GSI Outdoors Boulder Flask
- For outdoorsy folk – REI Co-op Flask
- Premium pick – Snow Peak Round Titanium Flask
- Big and beautiful – Misc. Goods Co. Ceramic Flask
How We Evaluated
Flasks are no good when they leak their precious liquid gold, so our first criteria had to be watertightness. And then aside from the flask’s ability to hold liquid tightly, we took a closer look at the caps. Were they robust or weak? Did they have a keeper that prevents you from losing the cap when unscrewed? Did it unscrew nicely, or was it like thumb wrestling?
Next, we judged how easy it was to fill. That typically came down to how wide the opening was. Lastly, and perhaps most subjectively, was looks. You know all those cheap bachelor party flasks given as gifts to groomsmen and the gift shop flasks for sale at tourist traps, and how they all look the same? Boring. If you’re going to carry a flask, stand out from the crowd—even more so than you would by just carrying any flask, unless the crowd you run with is from the 19th century.
Note that a lot of reviewers will mention (to everyone’s disgust) their liquor turning black after just two or three days in a stainless steel flask. That’s just what stainless steel does when exposed over days to a highly alcohol liquid. So If you want a flask that can hold liquor for longer, seek one out that’s glass or pewter. Luckily for you, we’ve got selections of both below.
Best All-‘Rounder – GSI Outdoors Glacier Flask
The Glacier Flask flaunts its curves in way that highlights how boxy most flasks seem by comparison. This rather handsome, bare stainless steel flask doesn’t have a straight edge on it, save for the bottom that helps it stand up while filling it, which was easy to do without a funnel.
I poured from a jigger into the flask but never had a problem with spillage, thanks to the wide opening. What stood out second-most to me on the Glacier Flask was its cap. It’s the most robust one I’ve handled yet, and it tightens down confidently without even being hard to unscrew. I’ve tossed this flask in my backpack weekly for a year and never suffered even a drop of leakage, either. The Glacier Flask is a sleeper hit I don’t see often enough.
The Toughest – Stanley Classic Flask
Do you like to bring a nip of whiskey on camping trips and need a vessel that looks the part? Stanley’s flask, stainless steel on the inside and the bare outside edges, looks like it could’ve been plucked right from grandma and grandpa’s 1970s, patchouli-reeking Winnebago.
Customers praise the wide opening, saying it’s easy to fill without a funnel. The textured Hammertone green, Stanley’s signature colorway, is our personal favorite, but all colors come in a tough powder coating that resists scratches and chips better than simple paint or bare steel.
Hold it in your hand and you’ll notice how heavy and robust it feels compared the tinny gift shop flasks that dominate. Even the cap has a nice weight to it, along with a hinged arm that keeps it attached to the flask when opened. You’ll never have to spend that beautiful sunset stooped over in the dirt looking for a dropped cap again.
Most Traditional – English Pewter Company Flask
Pewter is an interesting material, and one that harkens back to the flasks more common to Victorian days than the past century. For one, it won’t turn your liquor black in a short two or three days like stainless steel will. There’s a mirror-like luster to it when polished that stainless steel can’t match, either.
Even with no more design than the manufacturer’s mark in the upper corner, the curved-edge plain flask is a handsome flask indeed. English Pewter Company has a whole range of designs if you’re curious to check out how finely detailed pewter can be.
The opening, though, is narrow enough that you most likely need a flask funnel so that you don’t spill half your precious drink on the counter when filling it—and you’ll have to keep a careful eye on the cap to not lose it when it’s removed, since it detaches completely from the rest of the flask.
Best for Long-Term Storage – Ragproper Glass Flask
All right, for some God-forsaken reason you want to fill your flask with delicious spirits but somehow possess the misfortune of patience that allows you to hold off on drinking it for days and days. Stainless steel, as discussed, with turn it black and funky. Wonderful glass, though, is completely non-reactive and will hold that nectar in its pure state for much longer.
Customers rave about how thick and heavy this flask‘s glass is, so it certainly doesn’t seem to be the ultra-fragile glass bomb you think of when you hear glass flask. There’s an opening in the real, genuine leather that lets you see how much sweet precious you have remaining. That’s a nice benefit of glass that metal can’t offer.
Just be a bit more careful with this flask. Even though it’s wrapped in leather, which gives it a bit of bump-and-crack protection, it’s still, you know, glass. The opening is not super wide, but wide enough, and the cap also comes fully off, so keep an eye on it when it’s off.
On a Budget – Zippo Flask
Yep, Zippo makes things besides hipster lighters. Of all the flasks in this guide, this one conforms most to the standard form of “flask,” with the straight top and sides, and faintly kidney bean shape.
It has a few upsides versus the ubiquitous flasks of dubious quality, though. Customers report that the cap screws on tightly over a rubber gasket and doesn’t leak, and the knurled cap provides a solid grip for unscrewing. Its three-fluid-ounce capacity makes it easy to tuck away, although it’s on the small side for a flask.
The cap is narrow, though, so you’ll have to buy a flask funnel to ensure your life-giving drink makes it into the flask and not all over your shoes, although it does come with a hinged arm that prevents it from being lost when unscrewed. But for $15 or thereabouts, who’s going to complain? We don’t usually go gaga for branding, but the embossed Zippo name will probably draw a few appreciative mumbles.
Lightweight and Durable – GSI Outdoors Boulder Flask
As somebody afflicted with a passion for long hikes, I caution people to not drink while hiking and to avoid alcohol’s dehydrating properties. But if you know your limits and are absolutely committed to a nip as a reward when you make camp at night, this plastic flask is your best bet.
It won’t turn liquor black in a few days, and it’s not as heavy and breakable as glass. It weighs only four ounces empty, so it won’t weigh you down as much as a glass flask, either. Customers report that it doesn’t leak and that its spout is easy to fill. Bonus points for the attached cap that won’t get lost in the backcountry.
For Outdoorsy Folk – REI Co-Op Flask
For those who wish to show off their outdoor credentials, REI Co-op—REI’s house brand—sells a stainless steel flask coated in a durable finish with unique, flashy branded graphics. For the last few years, designs sell out and are replaced with new ones, so if you dig the two currently on sale, act now. They won’t be around forever.
We have to warn you, though, that a certain minority of customers report leaks around the plastic threads of the cap. Even though other customers say theirs have been leak-free, be sure to carefully line up the threads when putting the cap on so as not to cross-thread them, causing leaks or damage.
Premium Mix of Old and New – Snow Peak Round Titanium Flask
Snow Peak is a premium Japanese retailer of primarily titanium outdoor goods. They’ve managed to grab onto the heartstrings of both the aspirational glamping crowd and the serious dirtbag long-distance hiker alike—because aside from being beautifully crafted, their products just work.
This design merges an old-timey round canteen form with today’s darling metal of the outdoor industry. Being titanium, it’s incredibly lightweight at just 2.8 ounces, as well as stronger, gram for gram, than steel. It’s also less reactive than stainless steel, so it won’t turn your liquor black. The wooden cap is a nice touch you don’t see on flasks much.
The opening is somewhat narrow, but it the flask comes with a funnel, so you don’t have to go out and buy one. Downsides? Well, it’s damn expensive, so be careful not to lose that cap when it’s off.
Big and Beautiful – Misc. Goods Co. Ceramic Flask
Holding 11 fluid ounces, this made-in-America flask has room for seven servings, each being the standard 1.5 fluid ounces). You don’t see many ceramic flasks at all. Aside from not reacting with your liquor and turning it black the way stainless steel will, ceramic won’t impart any metallic taste, which some people say they can pick up on spirits that have been in contact with reactive metals for a while.
Uniquely, this flask has no cap. Instead, there’s a cork and a leather band that fastens over it to keep it from popping loose during transport. My first thought was that ceramic would be fragile, but with quarter-inch-thick sides, it seems to satisfy customers’ expectations for durability, although it weighs more than a typical flask. If beautiful black isn’t your vibe, it also comes in wonderful white.
