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A flip-top, swing-top, lightning toggle, or Quillfeldt stopper (after the inventor, Charles de Quillfeldt) is a type of bail handle closure frequently used for bottles containing carbonated beverages, such as beer or mineral water. The mouth of the bottle is sealed by a stopper, usually made of porcelain or plastic, fitted with a rubber gasket and held in place by a permanently attached wire bail. The bottle can be opened and resealed repeatedly without the use of a bottle opener, with the wires acting in the same way as a latch clamp. The flip-top was the dominant method of sealing beer and mineral water bottles prior to the invention of the crown cork.
A precursor to the flip-top, the "bail" or "Kilner" closure was invented in 1859, where a lid with gasket was held by a wire harness and sealed by a separate set of wires.
The first flip-top closure was created by Charles de Quillfeldt in the United States, who filed for a patent on 30 November 1874. Putnam and another v. von Hofe. 10 February 1881 in: Federal Reporter, Nr. 6, pp. 897-902 The rights were purchased by Henry W. Putnam who adapted the design for use on fruit jars. He received a patent 25 April 1882, called "Trademark Lightning" and the jars became known as the lightning jars. "Lightning jars"- Retrieved 2017-09-08 Several other varieties have been developed.
Many homebrewing prefer flip-top bottles, since they are easy to close after filling, and negate the need of a separate capping device.
File:BierflaschenVerschliessBügel.jpg|Flip-top seal used for crown cork bottles File:Wuppertaler Brauhaus 0001.jpg|Flip-top beer bottles File:KraeuterBuegelFlascheSophie.JPG|Mini bottle of herbal liqueur File:Red Wing Pottery 967HH 1.jpg|Pottery jug with bail closure File:Metal Eis Weissbier Bügelflaschen.jpg|Aluminum flip-top bottle
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