A crime was committed when Brian from High Caliber Line and I caught up. We were in Dallas at the same time, and we didn’t even get lunch. It’s a travesty even if he did only have like an hour layover.
All joking aside, it’s always so nice to catch up with Brian and see what High Caliber Line has been up to – because we all know there’s something up their sleeves. And he told me about their newest product that he is STOKED for.
His excitement, of course, made me super excited. It’s the Hippo Mug.
The Hippo Mug is 40 oz. of pure, unadulterated badassery. It’s available in eight colors right out of the gate and can keep drinks cold for up to 11 hours or warm for up to seven. Plus, it features a plastic lid and straw to make sipping a breeze. I’m not going to lie: I really want a black one so I can put my stickers all over it, and maybe it’ll get me to drink more water. 🙂

But how did such a cool product get such a cool name (and not have it sound like a power tool company like the other, similar mug on the market – and all over TikTok)? He told me he took inspiration from another popular mug company with an animal moniker – albeit a mythical one to some (it’s real, okay?). He wanted an animal that invoked power, something that was awesome, but it couldn’t be too much of a mouthful like an elephant or a crocodile. When one of his team members brought up the name hippo, it was like something clicked in Brian’s brain. It was perfect.
We talked a lot about the name and what hippos meant to humans. They’re powerful creatures – even crocodiles stay out of their way! They’re buzzworthy on the internet because they’re also super cute – someone showed him Fiona the hippo when he mentioned the name to them. I brought up the popular meme phrase: if not friend, why friend shaped? This is a common internet caption for super cute animals like big cats, bears, or hippos that look like you can cuddle them, but they’d rip you to pieces in a moment.

He laughed and told me he’d have to file that one for later. But that’s the beauty of The Hippo Mug: it’s both friend AND friend shaped!
As for how they decided to produce a mug like this? Brian told me it all came down to the owner of High Caliber Line – he’s really the brains of the operation. He has three daughters and credits them for keeping him in the know when it comes to the latest trends. He’s even ahead of this millennial who just heard about the power tool cup a few days ago on TikTok. In fact, The Hippo Mug is already such a popular item that they have several massive orders on the way and even more in the pipeline.
We can’t wait to see just what new products High Caliber Line comes up with. To keep an eye on their innovative products or to check out their brand new Hippo Mug, click here! To read previous Supplier Spotlights click here!