Hip Flask scours the globe to bring the best craft beers direct from brewers to your doorstep.
It’s as simple as that.
But perhaps ‘simple’ is not the word, as without a great deal of passion and drive to make it work, this finely-tuned operation founded right here in Greater Manchester would fall short, but after two furloughed friends started the company with ambition and the intent of selling to a couple of people they knew, Hip Flask has since flourished.
The craft beer delivery company has taken hundreds of Mancunians on “a journey of beer discovery” since the start of lockdown, and it’s all done through expertly-selected picks with the perfect blend of flavour, character and strength to please the palate.
A Pub In A Box, you could say – which also happens to be the name of its first collection.
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Hip Flask is the brainchild of Sam and Phil – childhood friends with a mutual love for all things craft beer – who after finding themselves, like many others, with a few extra hours on their hands at the start of April this year, started chatting about what they could do to fill the time.
“We’re both into our beer and we’d compare notes on any new and interesting beers we’d tried since we last met.” Sam explained to us.
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“We subscribed to a couple of craft beer delivery companies, but we found them a bit lacking,
“There didn’t seem to be any context to the beers we were drinking or any information on who produced it [and] we know the passion and the artistry that goes into making craft beer [so] we wanted to show this to other people.”
The Manchester Box by Hip Flask
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though at the start.
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Sam continued: “We naively thought it would be a case of buying the beer and start selling.
“It turned out we needed a couple of licences before we could do that, but eventually, we’d licensed a spare bedroom in my house in Manchester to sell craft beer and Hip Flask was born.
“We started selling a few boxes to friends and we’ve slowly grown from there”.
And it’s fair to say that a pretty significant part of that growth is the city in which it was born, or more specifically, a hand-picked collection of beers that pays homage to and celebrates everything the city is loved around the world for.
So, what exactly is The Manchester Box then?
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The Manchester Box by Hip Flask
Well, every proud Mancunian knows that Manchester is a city with a rich and iconic history, right?
Think the Haçienda, L.S. Lowry, Paul Scholes, Emmeline Pankhurst, Franny Lee, Liam & Noel, Caroline Ahern, Anthony Burgess, Shelagh Delaney, FAC51, and not forgetting Vimto, of course – but Hip Flask wants to show the world that beer needs to be added to that list too.
The Manchester Box is designed to “highlight the unique identity of Manchester” and is filled with some of the best beer this city has to offer.
“Pubs and breweries have been some of the hardest hit financially throughout this year, particularly in Manchester,” said Sam, “[and] we wanted to do what we could to help, so we created The Manchester Box,
“A celebration of Manchester’s brilliant independent craft breweries.”
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“We wanted to capture the spirit and the vibe of Manchester and the city’s continual defiance in the face of adversity. Manchester has a history of pulling together in dark times and that’s what we wanted to achieve with this box.”
Say hello to the Manchester Box! Featuring 12 beers from our favourite Manchester breweries.
Manchester is iconic for football, art and music. We want to show the world that beer needs to be added to the list.
An ideal Christmas gift for any beer lover, or even just someone with a special place in their heart for the rainy city, The Manchester Box is filled with a diverse range of lagers, pale ales and IPAs created in breweries across the region.
Each box contains a total of 12 specially-selected beers (5x 440ml cans and 7x 330ml cans).
Beers from beloved Greater Manchester breweries Alphabet, Beatnikz Republic, Brightside, First Chop, Seven Bro7hers, and Shindigger all proudly feature.
It also comes complete with tasting notes on all of beers featured in the collection as a way to enhance the drinking experience, as well a map with details about the breweries that each of the beers have been crafted in, adding depth to each sip.
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And crucially, the purchase of each box directly contributes to small and independent local businesses at a time when they truly need the support more than ever before.
The Manchester Box by Hip FlaskThe Manchester Box by Hip Flask
The Manchester Box will set you back just £35 for the full collection.
Hip Flask is currently offering free local delivery to households within eight miles of its premises, and national delivery of £4 or free on orders above £50.
All boxes are expected to be delivered within three working days of the order being placed.
More information can be found via the Hip Flask website here, and you can also keep up to date with Sam, Phil and the Hip Flask team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The K’s kick off Manchester’s BRITs Week celebrations early with jam-packed intimate gig
The Manc
If you were ‘Hoping Maybe’ to see The K’s at some point this year, this is your sign do it, as the rising indie band did not let the occasion of playing an intimate BRITs-backed gig get to them – they were buoyed by it.
Beloved city centre venue Gorilla was overflowing for The K’s last night, hosting an unreal small-cap set as part of Brits Week ‘26 for a very important cause: War Child.
Perfectly teed up by fellow nearby band, Florentenes from Bolton, The K’s took to a familiar stage many years on from their debut, and instantly had the crowd ready and raring for an hour of pure tunes and some very, very sweaty brows.
Earlestown’s finest certainly carried that Northern charm and energy throughout the whole night; their indie and almost nostalgic lyrical storytelling has you moshing one minute, whilst grasping your mate and ascending into live music heaven the next. There really aren’t many feelings like it.
Sobbing and swaying in the vast ocean of shoulders whilst screaming the lyrics to ‘Helen. Oh I’, I questioned how any compliment will ever compare to launching “thousand ships every time” from a kiss.
The K’s were yearning before Wuthering Heights made it vogue (again).
Musically, the band were seamless and a well-oiled machine, and so were the audience as they wholeheartedly echoed every lyric back at the lads and bounced it off the walls.
The K’s have come a long way since their first visit to Gorilla (Credit: Lucy Wagstaffe)
Every primary school assembly proudly led us to this moment, and it did not disappoint, displaying their increasingly seasoned and successful career, which I can only imagine is going to go from strength to strength this year.
I don’t think we even one more fan could have squeezed one more passionate fan into Gorilla on the night; it was heaving with people and pride; the sweat dripping down the walls indicated things are big for these local lads, and we couldn’t be prouder.
They are another prime example of shining a deserving light on Northern artists! And having the 2026 BRIT Awards up here with us is a testament to that.
Featured Images — Lucy Wagstaffe (supplied via War Child UK)
Feature
Audio North’s Artist of the Month: Roukaya B | February 2026
Thomas Melia
The North is full of amazing artists, and we’re spotlighting one every single month – get ready for Roukaya B to bring the ‘Heat’.
Salford soulstress Roukaya B needs no introduction, but we’re giving her one anyway, as you might not be aware of her sheer musical power.
Self-proclaimed “soul enlightener” and ‘Manchester’s Queen of Soul’, this artist has been uploading music to streaming platforms since 2022.
Rou doesn’t conform to one genre; instead, she deliberately fuses them, blending R’n’B, soul, rap, afrobeats and even jazz to create some of the freshest sounds.
Now, Roukaya B sits down with Audio North after discovering her ‘Artist of the Month’ title to discuss exciting projects, personal stories and her artistry.
An interview with Roukaya – Audio North’s Artist of the Month
What has your journey in music looked like so far? My journey has been quite hectic, but in the best way. I’m a singer-songwriter and all-around creative, and I’ve learned a lot about myself and what my voice can do. I’ve developed my writing and ability to perform on stage, throwing myself into collaborations too.
I’m constantly evolving just like the music I’m putting out.
“Singer, writer, rapper, dancer, actress, drama queen, you can’t compete here” – We couldn’t put it any better ourselves.
Where did you grow up, and what music were you listening to? I was raised in Salford, and music for me was very different as I come from a multicultural background. My Dad is Algerian, my Mum is Jamaican-English; they met in the South and settled up North [great choice] to have a family.
I grew up on a lot of ‘raï’ music – a North African genre with really cool drum patterns, reggae and 90s hip hop. My Mum loved that soul tune, ‘I Believe in Miracles’ by Hot Chocolate, and my Dad absolutely loved M People, especially Heather Small; they made some iconic classic anthems.
I was raised on lots of different genres, and I think that’s showcased in my music today.
When did you realise singing was something you wanted to pursue? I’ve always known that I wanted to be a singer from a really young age. It’s what I said I’d do in primary school, it’s what I wanted to do in high school, and I did it in college.
Salford singer-songwriter Roukaya B claims our inaugural ‘Artist of the Month’ title (Credit: Audio North)
When I was growing up, it wasn’t accessible to the younger generation to see it as a viable career, so I was sort of teased and laughed at for it, so I never really dived into it. I could sing, and I studied music in high school, but I missed my opportunity on YouTube when it was fresh.
It was only after college that I decided to post covers to my Instagram, where people engaged, and it was cool for people to find and discover me. So I did college again as a music student, and the rest is history. All of this has become a part of my musical journey, and everything happens for a reason.
How did you come to this realisation? In short, the realisation was that I wasn’t focusing on my inner drive and trust me, it wasn’t just calling me, it was essentially shouting at me: ‘Hi, babes. Use your voice, whether it’s spoken, whether it’s singing, just use it. This is a healing tool and healing force.’
What is your ultimate dream as an artist?
I want to do a ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ or ‘COLORS’ show, and I’d love to make music with Sasha Keable – if you’re reading this, Rouyaka B wants to collab, haha!
Being true to myself and remaining authentic as I progress in my career is part of that dream. I don’t want to bang out a tune every single month; I want to make sure my work is always consistent. Being a genuine artist is my ultimate dream.
Are there any fellow up-and-coming artists you’re listening to?
Remée, or ‘That Remée Girl’, as she goes by on socials. She’s a Liverpool-based alt-grunge act and let me tell you… She. Is. COOL. There are some festival dates lined up, so if you get the chance, go see her.
This Manc creative champions the city wherever she can. (Credit: Liam Heeley)
What’s next for you in terms of your music career?
There’s a handful of live shows coming up, and they’re going to be very experimental. I also have a collection of work coming out in the future, which I can’t say too much about just yet.
There’s even a youth music project which I’m really, really, really excited about. So much is coming!
It was a pleasure chatting with Rou, and we have every faith that big things are coming for her in 2026 and beyond.
Emily Sergeant -
4th December 2020 
