It’s been ages since I’ve done a proper round-up of all the good things that have been occurring lately. Focussing on the positive in turn makes me feel more positive. (Who would have thunk it.)
10 Things that Have Made Me Happy
>>> I was sent a bottle of The Penny Drop Cornish Old Tom Gin to try. It is absolutely delightful. I am a long-time devote to Brockman’s gin (with an orange garnish) but I found The Penny Drop Cornish Gin to be a newfound rival. I tasted cardamom – it was herbaceous, a little earthy and there was a lingering after taste that faded gently off the tongue of citrus oil. Maybe even the tiniest hint of lavender. There is a real depth of flavour there.
On The Penny Drop Cornish Old Tom’s website they say “Old Tom Gin is slightly sweeter than London Dry gins and drier than Dutch Genever.” I would definitely agree with that. Because of that slight sweetness, I personally would drink this gin on a crisp autumn day.
I think it would mix really nicely with a blood orange tonic or a plain tonic with a mint garnish. Personally, I think it is a bit too earthy for something like a Tom Collins but would go perfectly in a Negroni.
I love its playful name that is based in history: Instead, the name Penny Drop Cornish Old Tom gin comes from the illegal activities that started after the government levied a tax on gin in 1736. People wanting a sneaky shot of gin would seek out buildings with a cat sign and drop a penny in a slot. Only when the penny dropped would a shot of gin be poured down a lead pipe.
As someone with a vested interest in sustainability and local produce, the distillery sources most of its botanicals locally in Cornwall. The seabuckthorn berries used are harvested in Cornwall and it’s slightly sweetened with honey from Polwheveal, Constantine.
Penny Drop Gin Old Tom is made with the finest hand-selected botanicals, these include juniper berries, coriander seeds, black pepper, cassia bark, vanilla, meadowsweet, lemon peel and seabuckthorn berries
You can buy a bottle yourself on drinkfinder for £35.99. (Proof:- 40% abv)
Drink Finder kindly sent me a bottle of Penny Drop Cornish Old Tom gin as a gift to write this review. Opinions are forever my own, but I love this Cornish gin.
>>> The weather has been absolutely glorious. I enjoy the autumn and I have made peace with the winter but I feel myself and my spirits come alive again in the spring.
>>> I’ve made a lot of big changes for my health lately. It’s small but I’ve been drinking water with lemon every day and taking proper supplements. I’ve taken up running again every day, I never fail to get to my 10k step goal and I’ve been waking up early every morning in order to fit in a pre-work, at-home yoga session.
>>> I have submitted my application to do an intensive 200 hour yoga teacher training course. It’s something that I have ummed and ahhed over for literal years and I am glad to have finally set my mind to it.
>>> For someone who loves to bake, I’ve found sourdough starters ridiculously tricky to keep alive. I feel as if I am the only one! But *knock on wood* I think I have potentially nipped my problem in the bud. I have a starter that not only have I kept alive but that I have baked several weeks’ worth of tasty bread with.
>>> I saw my first film at the cinema in ages. It was Everything Everywhere All At Once. It was an absolute roller-coaster. I laughed. I teared it. I shook my head in confusion. I can’t explain the film in the slightest but you should undoubtedly see it.
>>> I have tickets to see Phoebe Bridgers, Arcade Fire and Florence + The Machine over the next few months. I am definitely making up for lost time.
>>> At Stoke Bruerne I went on a long canal walk and then road a canal boat to an amazing tunnel. It made me feel that perhaps boat life is the life for me.
>>> My trip to Reims was amazing and I can’t wait to share more of my visit with you.
>>> Rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet are going well. It’s certainly a challenge and a stretch for me to play Romeo but I am utterly loving it. (Book your tickets now if you are in the Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire way – it’s an outdoor production in Peterborough.)
What nice things have happened in your life lately?
