MotorPunk October 2013 | Page 48

| Kitbag | Hip flasks THE FORMULA 1 OF HIP FLASKS L avished with more carbon fibre than an oil Sheik’s Zonda, this is the ultimate hip flask for the world’s best-heeled whiskey aficionados. Built as collaboration between Oakley Inc and the Macallan distillers this over-engineered piece of industrial art is aimed at “the industrious and active gentleman ... From the rubberised bottom for a non-slip grip to a small rectangular air vent on the side of the funnel to allow for ventilation, every potential circumstance and environment of usage has been considered.” The design brief from Macallan was to create the “definitive solution” to protect every precious drop of its finest 22 year-old single malt. To prove the point they produced a big-budget promotional video showing the flask being dragged around from the back of a GT40, a BMW M3 and a Merc SLS; it’s then dropped from a helicopter before being delivered by a smoking Shelby Cobra to a naked gal in a roll top bath on a deserted runway ... for some reason. With a launch price of $1,500 price for the hip flask and a 750ml bottle of whisky - it’s meant for buyers looking to show it off - only 400 have been released across the US, 40 of those in New York City. And while the flask itself may lure in younger, edgier Scotch drinkers, the 22 year-old Macallan is expected to draw fans of elite whiskies because there was just a single cask made of it. While we at MotorPunk admire the Oakley Flask’s engineering, and attention to detail, it wouldn’t look quite right in the breast pockets of our battered Barbours. Also, despite its extraordinary price tag, the American ad mens’ strapline, “portable purveyor of pleasure”, sounds more like something you’d find on a tuppenny trollop’s calling card. 48 | MotorPunk October 2013