Winter means...

...winter themed alcoholic beverages! At this time of year Lidl usually start stocking Glühwein. It's cheap, in a festive bottle. I still cannot grasp exactly how such a cheap, simple pleasure succeeds in lifting my mood. No matter what kind of day I've had, if I can stagger in through the front door and shove a glug of Glühwein into my Manchester German Market mug and stick it in the microwave, then fewer people will end up bearing the brunt of my bad temper.

But there's no need to stop there. Why not try some mulled, spiced cider with a shot of apple brandy if you're feeling adventurous?

The Whisky Mac is also a personal favourite. Put some whisky in a glass. Add a glug of Crabbie's Green Ginger wine. Job done. You can heat it but it's just as good cold.

Sloe gin. Oh, how I love thee. This September there were sloes in abundance growing in the local nature reserve. We got a bit carried away and picked around 3kg. Luckily I managed to pick up a few demijohns on Freegle, so we've got around 6 litres of gin sitting on the fruit. It's a beautiful sight. Ideally we need to leave at least 6 months but I think we'll have a sneaky taste around Christmas.

Little pleasures keep winter bearable. It's a good job I'm so easily pleased.