Wrapped With A Beau

It seems we are full of Fullers here at B&B headquarters, having recently presented the incredible Triple Lock Box, and now offering this beauty. It’s a box Eric produced over ten years ago now, and has quietly stood the test of time. It used to be that Eric’s incredible puzzle boxes were few and far between, but he must have hit his head on something, because the ideas keep tumbling out of him lately. His fans are rejoicing that he has a whole series of new designs and ideas either recently released or coming soon. The anticipation is founded on boxes like this one, that set expectations appropriately high.

Beaulid Box by Eric Fuller and Joel Freedman

The Beaulid Box was one of Fuller’s few box collaborations, a category which includes the Stickman No. 4 Clutch Tile Box with Robert Yarger, the Portable Pen Box with John Devost, the B-Box / Reactor with Goh Pit Khiam, and the Penultimate Burr Box Set with Ken Irvine. Eric has a knack for puzzle ideas and designs, as has been said many times before, but also has a keen eye for recognizing those qualities in other’s designs, and often for improving on them. Such was the case with the Beaulid Box, a result of a competition Eric held back in 2008. The Coffin Puzzlecraft Competition solicited ideas from the community and inspired collector and part time woodworker Joel Freedman to send in an idea he had based on the Stickman No 8 “3 – Lock” Box. In that mind boggling puzzle box, doing the same movements on the box produces a different result each time, thanks to a hidden internal switch with three different positions. 

Does anything spring to mind?

Joel produced his design over two evenings, in which he took the idea even further, in multiple ways, and sent it off to Eric. Part of the solution requires some understanding of what may be happening inside, and part requires recognizing certain states. This was not meant to be guesswork, and Joel’s original box had an aromatic cedar lid, if that tells you anything, and a more obvious mechanism. Eric recognized the brilliance of the idea, and in typical fashion added his own signature style. He again doubled the complexity, which resulted in an astounding number of possible states within the box. I could tell you the actual number, but it would be a clue for the more mathematically minded out there. Suffice it to say it essentially removes chance from the equation. He also modified the mechanism to be far more subtle, and more challenging to decipher. Eric crafted the boxes beautifully from Peruvian Walnut, Carolina White Ash and Quilted Maple, with steel and acrylic parts hidden inside. The marvelous mechanism is fully revealed once the box is opened, just like in his IRMO Box; and just like in that box as well, seeing the mechanical artwork spoils the surprise, so must remain a secret to be appreciated only after solving. Eric does provide a few hints about what is required, if you can detect them, but I will remain otherwise silent on the matter. 

A Moment of Silence by Maks Pazuniak

Here's a tasty tipple with which to toast the Beaulid Box. It can be found in Beta Cocktails, the slim collection of creative cocktails edited by Maks Pazuniak and Kirk Estopinal which is a quiet underground resource full of incredible drinks by well-known bartenders. I’ve featured a few gems from this book before, and it never fails to impress. The drinks are mostly strong, often bitter, using unusual spirits – not necessarily for the faint of heart but ideal for those who are open to new experiences.

As far from Louisiane as you can get ...

I chose an original from Maks Pazuniak, one of the driving forces behind the entire collection, who is himself a well-known bartender from New Orleans. I selected it for no particular reason, I just liked the sound of it. Pazuniak riffs on a true New Orleans classic, the La Louisiane, which is mentioned in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em by Stanley Clisby Arthur, 1937. That original version calls for equal parts rye, sweet vermouth and Benedictine, the herbal honeyed liqueur. The sweet elements overwhelm the rye whiskey and it is a bit out of proportion to modern tastes, but a classic is a classic nonetheless. Jim Meehan from the famed PDT bar in New York City updated the classic by adjusting the ratios and adding some absinthe and bitters to the mix. In this version by Pazuniak, the original recipe seems far away, and you wouldn’t be blamed for missing the reference entirely, which is also what makes it so brilliant. In lieu of vermouth, there is an amaro, instead of the Benedictine he introduces an apricot liqueur, and he adds a touch of apple brandy to the rye base. Finally there is a whopping dose of bitters rather than the typical few dashes. Rather than absinthe, he uses a Campari rinse. Mixing it all together creates an amazing experience of flavor that just might put you at a loss for words, temporarily. Use it wisely. Cheers!

Hello darkness, my old friend

A Moment of Silence by Maks Pazuniak

1 ½ oz rye whiskey

1 oz apricot liqueur, preferably Marie Brizard Apry

½ oz Amaro Averna

½ oz Angostura bitters

¼ oz apple brandy, preferably Laird's Bonded

Campari, for rinse

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a Campari rinsed glass. Orange twist garnish.

For more from this artist:

NB: Joel Freedman, who originally studied engineering, has been making his own puzzles for the past ten years or so, and recently bought himself a proper table saw. He plans to start bringing more of his brilliant ideas to life when he eventually retires. That sounds pretty good to me!