Fall is in full speed right now: cold winds, drizzle and pitch black evenings. However, if you are lucky, you have the type of weather we had today: crisp and sunny and on the better side of +/- 10 degrees. These are the kind of days that makes me happy about having four seasons in a year. Fall can be great at its best. And its a perfect time for some game, light red wine and spiced gin&tonics.
When it comes to cocktails, gin is my choice of spirit. Almost always. Too often. I just keep coming back to it even if I stray to rum sometimes. This is why M got me a bottle of Stockhoms Bränneri gin for my birthday. Taking inspiration from a Finnish Gin-maker, Kyrö Distillery, I mixed the gin with some premium tonic, rosemary and berries (blueberries this time). The herbs and berries give a soft flavor, leaving the spirit to play the leading role. And when gin is good its really good. I could have also used lingonberries, gooseberries or even mint and cucumber. A GT can be spiced with almost anything. This Stockholms Bränneri gin made an excellent fall-themed pre-dinner drink. And the best thing with a GT is that it is dead-easy to make.
Another fun thing I would like to share with you is a..what should I call it..a fun phenomena that you can find in the center of Stockholm: mini garden villages or allotment gardens as defined by Wikipedia. Both in Helsinki and Stockholm there are these small plots with cute cottages and gardens that are taken care of by the people who either rent or own them. They are kind of mini summer houses, but just in the center of the city. There is one such area quite close to where we live in Södermalm called Tantolunden. I like to go walking there with my camera and checking out what people are growing. The gardens can sometimes be quite ambitious. And even though you have the buzzing city around you, it is quite peaceful. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are nearby.
Nine days and counting for take off to Shanghai. A small break is definitely needed (like I just wasn’t in Barcelona a few weeks ago). Its a tough life *smirk*.
xx Soile
The Winecurious 