When we think of Finland, sauna is probably one of the first things that leaps to mind. If you dig deeper, perhaps you will think of forests, taciturn people, or Moomin trolls. But, what we ought to think of? Car racing! Rally car racing to be precise.
Rally racing (off road car racing on dirt trails) is not just a passion in Finland, it’s a cultural institution, as woven into their identities as sauna or the midnight sun (but with a lot more horsepower). Finns are practically born with a steering wheel in hand, and don’t be surprised if the local rally champion is an 80 year old total badass of a grandma who also bakes excellent cardamom buns.
Not to name names, but a Finnish person we know locally confessed that when the roads and schools are closed for a snow day, she takes her car out to go tearing around the snowed-in driveways of the university campus. I was not surprised to hear about it.
The mic drop of rally car racing is called the Scandi Flick (I only know about this because my favorite television show is old episodes of Top Gear. If my mom is reading this, I swear I don’t have any personal experience.) Here’s how it works: imagine you’re zooming down a dirt road, even better if it’s covered with gravel or snow, and up ahead you spy a gnarly hairpin turn. Normal driving dictates that you slow down to take the turn. Scandi rally driving says, “oh no.” As you approach the turn, you crank the steering wheel hard in the opposite direction of the corner, blazing into a sideways slide, then just before you lose control you slam on the brakes and whip the wheel the other way to zing around the curve. You’ve made Juha Kankunnen proud.
Of course, if you – like most of us – aren’t built with the rally racer’s need for speed, we can find enjoyment and our own type of adrenaline rush from a super delicious cocktail instead. (Was that transition between topics the writing equivalent of taking a hairpin turn at full speed?!). The Scandi Flick cocktail is inspired by the woodsy and evergreen flavors of Sauna Water by Portage Brewery and Cedar and Stone Sauna, meshed with some other gorgeous flavors of winter, namely orange, ginger, and cranberry. Think of it as a Nordic take on a cosmo. Or like the flavor version of a thrilling trip down a twisting road through the woods.
scandi flick recipe
1 oz. Vikre Duluth Vodka
1/2 oz. orange liqueur
1/2 oz. ginger syrup
3/4 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
1/4 oz. lime juice
1 oz. sauna water
Combine all the ingredients except the sauna water in an ice-filled shaker. Shake for about 8 seconds to chill and aerate.
Strain into a large coupe or a white wine glass. Top with the sauna water. Garnish with an orange twist.
Tasting Notes: Bright and playful with the crisp fruit from the cranberry and orange liqueur lifting up the woodsy flavor of the sauna water.
Pair with: a salty snack mix or cheese and crackers.
Learn more about Sauna Water
A collaboration between Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna and Portage Brewing.
Bringing you the first of its kind, a sparkling botanical water designed to celebrate sauna culture in all forms. The ingredients used in this rehydrating beverage were inspired by our experiences in Northern Minnesota’s winter cold and the countless hours of time spent inside saunas that always followed. Aromatics of fresh spruce and awakening spices, with a thirst quenching acidity of citrus fruits to keep everything in balance.
