Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a mixture of beer and spirit sweetened with sugar and heated with a hot iron; used fig., see cite 1831.

1695		Congreve Love for Love III i: Thus we live at sea; eat biscuit, and drink flip.
1698		N. Ward London Spy II 43: I had rather run up to the Cross-trees of the main-topmast in a Storm, than six Rounds of these confounded Land Ladders, after the drinking of a Can of Phlip or a Bowl of Punch.
1709		A Society of Ladies Female Tatler (1992) (75) 146: She thought a sneaker of punch or a can of good flip, [...] preferable to your t’other end of the town Green tea.
1710		C. Shadwell Fair Quaker of Deal I i: He sets with as good a Bucket of Flip before him as e’re was toss’d up betwixt the Stem and Stern of a Ship.
1722		‘Whipping-Tom’ Universal Poison, or the Dismal Effects of Tea II 12: Our Exchange Girls, [...] are Devils at this Sort of Lap, guzzling it down as fast as a drunken Tarpaulin will a Can of Flip.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 65: Some Sailors, who would need have us go on Board their Ship, and drink some Flip.
1748		Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 140: The tar [...] regaled me with a draught of flip.
1757		Leeds Intelligencer 26 Apr. 1/2: Instead of going amog the Crew drinking Flip [...] he employed his whole Time in manning [...] the ship.
1761		Memoirs of [...] Jane D****s 33: She drank flip, and cursed as loudly as any sailor of them all.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Flip. Small beer, brandy, and sugar: this mixture, with the addition of a lemon, was by sailors, formerly called Sir Cloudsly, in memory of Sir Cloudsly Shovel, who used frequently to regale himself with it.
a.1790		C. Dibdin ‘Lucky Escape’ Collection of Songs II 129: I liked the jolly tars, I liked bumbo and flip.
c.1805		‘Meg of Wapping’ Jovial Songster 68: ’Twas landlady Meg, that made such rare flip.
1815		D. Humphreys Yankey in England 97: I’ll wage a nip of toddy, or venture a mug of flip.
1825		C.M. Westmacott Eng. Spy I 257: Rum booze – Flip made of white or port wine, the yolks of eggs, sugar and nutmeg.
1831		Morn. Chron. (London) 6 June 1/5: [US source] Poor creature, he was [...] quite groggy [...] with swallowing too much o’ Davy Jones’s flip [i.e. seawater].
1836		Comic Almanack Jan. 42: At night ere you slip into bed you may sip a can of good flip.
1843		W.L. Rede Our Village II ii: Flip for forty, and make it strong and sweet.
1857		Worcs. Chron. 24 June 4/1: The fire blazed and mugs of flip were passing.
1864		J.R. Lowell Fireside Travels 68: So, Mr. Porter, the young gentlemen come to drink your flip, do they?
1871		H.B. Stowe Sam Lawson’s Oldtown Fireside Stories (1881) 148: He stirred up a mess o’ flip, and hed it for her hot.
1877		‘Bound ’Prentice to a Waterman’ Laughing Songster 121: Board a man of war I enter’d next, and larn’d to quaff good flip.
1888		Hartlepool Mail 14 Aug. 4/6: Flip — Small beer, brandy, and sugar.