Green’s Dictionary of Slang

flip n.1

also phlip
[SE flip, to whip up]

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

[UK]Congreve Love for Love III i: Thus we live at sea; eat biscuit, and drink flip.
[UK]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.
[UK]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.
[Ire]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.
[UK]‘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.
[UK]C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 65: Some Sailors, who would need have us go on Board their Ship, and drink some Flip.
[UK]Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 140: The tar [...] regaled me with a draught of flip.
[UK]Leeds Intelligencer 26 Apr. 1/2: Instead of going amog the Crew drinking Flip [...] he employed his whole Time in manning [...] the ship.
[UK]Memoirs of [...] Jane D****s 33: She drank flip, and cursed as loudly as any sailor of them all.
[UK]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.
[UK]C. Dibdin ‘Lucky Escape’ Collection of Songs II 129: I liked the jolly tars, I liked bumbo and flip.
[UK] ‘Meg of Wapping’ Jovial Songster 68: ’Twas landlady Meg, that made such rare flip.
[UK]D. Humphreys Yankey in England 97: I’ll wage a nip of toddy, or venture a mug of flip.
[UK]C.M. Westmacott Eng. Spy I 257: Rum booze – Flip made of white or port wine, the yolks of eggs, sugar and nutmeg.
[UK]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].
[UK]Comic Almanack Jan. 42: At night ere you slip into bed you may sip a can of good flip.
[UK]W.L. Rede Our Village II ii: Flip for forty, and make it strong and sweet.
[UK]Worcs. Chron. 24 June 4/1: The fire blazed and mugs of flip were passing.
[US]J.R. Lowell Fireside Travels 68: So, Mr. Porter, the young gentlemen come to drink your flip, do they?
[US]H.B. Stowe Sam Lawson’s Oldtown Fireside Stories (1881) 148: He stirred up a mess o’ flip, and hed it for her hot.
[Scot] ‘Bound ’Prentice to a Waterman’ Laughing Songster 121: Board a man of war I enter’d next, and larn’d to quaff good flip.
[UK]Hartlepool Mail 14 Aug. 4/6: Flip — Small beer, brandy, and sugar.