Welcome to Släckdrünk
This blog began in the depths of the pandemic as a means to continue drinking well in self-isolation. While we can argue if we have graduated from pandemic to endemic, the need for a good drink remains.
As a trained librarian (the kind that works in schools), I see the world through a unique pair of readers hung from around my neck. And since there is no shortage of other cocktail and drinking blogs out there, I’ve decided to remix this blog, don some sensible shoes, and bring the world something that we probably don’t really need — a cocktail blog inspired by libraries and librarians.
The name of this blog in inspired by a unique Nordic concept. No, not hygge, the Danish word for all things cozy and comfortable. We are trading our fluffy mohair throw and scented candles for something that originates in the often overlooked social democracy of Finland. This country of just over 5 million hardy folks is known for a few things:
- sauna
- wife-carrying championships
- pretty good schools
- high level of social happiness
- and binge drinking.
Finns have a word for the last item — kalsarikänni — drinking at home in your underwear. The book by Miska Rantanen offers a comprehensive guide to this concept which is roughly translated into English as Päntsdrunk. In case you don’t have this book on your shelf these recent articles describe different aspects of this concept.
How the Finnish lifestyle of getting drunk while wearing pants became the new hygge — The Guardian
What Is Pantsdrunk? The Scandinavian Wellness Trend Is All About Chilling In Your Underwear — The Elite
While I’m a card-carrying Finn myself, I am also a native of the Pacific Northwest, a hotbed of eating and drinking well. As someone who has a closet full of suits and a liquor cabinet full of cocktail ingredients, I see no reason that we can’t drink well and leave our slacks, skirts, dresses, and/or utilikilts on. But regardless of what you’ve got on, there’s no reason we can’t drink well. As the Finns would say, kippis! To the health of us all.
