This cocktail is a nod to Finnish and Japanese sauna and bath cultures, beautiful continued traditions that embrace meditation, physical wellness, sociability, and slowness, all things we value more and more these days. Similarly, palo santo proffers purification and cleansing that helps with stress and anxiety. And practically speaking, palo santo is a wood that is extremely fragrant and oil-rich, making the infusion process for this cocktail very quick. What it contributes here is a perfumed, wooded flavor that with the smoke from the mezcal and pine notes of the rosemary recall the scents of a sauna.

Lonna Cocktail - ingredients 
1.5 oz infused rice shochu 
1 oz mezcal
1 oz sweet vermouth
scant tbsp rosemary syrup
stick of palo santo

To infuse the shochu, submerge a stick of palo santo for about an hour. If you don’t have shochu (or soju) at home, you can easily sub for gin or even vodka. You can infuse just enough for one cocktail or scale up and leave the palo santo in for a bit longer. Feel free to taste after an hour and if you want more of that perfumed flavor, steep longer. When finished, dry out the palo santo stick for future burnings. 

To make rosemary syrup, add one cup raw sugar and 1 cup water to a pan. Add 3-4 full sprigs of rosemary and a pinch of salt and heat on med-high (if you have some rosemary lying around that has dried out, that works even better as it has more of that pine quality). bring to a boil, turn down heat and allow to simmer for 5 min. turn off heat and let cool fully, then strain out rosemary. 

To prepare the cocktail, chill a ceramic cup in the freezer. In a separate mixing glass, stir all ingredients over ice for 2-3 minutes until chilled and diluted (taste to test). Strain in your chilled cup. Squeeze a grapefruit peel over the top and discard. It’s best enjoyed next to a fire or in a hot bath if you have that luxury.

**Lonna is an island off of Helsinki with nothing but a sauna and its restaurant.

Photography, recipe, and words by Caylon Hackwith. Caylon Hackwith is a photographer, filmmaker, and art director of fashion, architecture, and objects. Find more of his work here and follow his instagram here.

We recently created a pin inspired by our namesake, IDUN, the Norse Goddess of spring, vitality, and rejuvenation. This pin is that much more special because the artwork is created by our friend, graphic designer, and licensed tattoo artist Kelly Thorn. Kelly works out of her studio in Greenpoint, Brooklynn and you can find more of her inspiring work here.

We recently asked Kelly to share a few things that inspire her and keep her balanced as a multi-disciplinary artist.

Idun at home cont'd...

Next up, Andi!

"Film: The Love Witch. Not only is this movie campy and thoughtful, director Anna Biller created all of the gorgeous costumes. A perfect film if you’re craving some color. 

Book: 60 Stories by Donald Barthelme. This has been my favorite collection of stories since I was 18, and that comforts me during such a stressful time. It’s bizarre and surreal, much like current events. 

Listen to Andi's Maybe Baby Playlist HERE.

This playlist is dedicated to my fellow plague mothers, and babies! You probably didn’t envision going through this during a pandemic; I see you and hope that these difficult times aren’t robbing you of your excitement and joy. Most of the songs I chose are off of my baby shower playlist that may or may not be cancelled, so I’m glad that I can at least share them with you. Cheers!"