"Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Nope Box by Eric Fuller

Sometimes I’ve got a great big puzzle box to talk about, like the Apothecary Chest, the Turing Chest, or the Secretum Cista Chest - items that take a long time to explore and explain. Other times, it’s nice to be content with something smaller. For example, this quick little cube from Eric Fuller, the prolific puzzlesmith from North Carolina with a penchant for perplexity. I’ve written about many of his brilliant and beautiful puzzle boxes before, and luckily there always seems to be another one, on the shelf or on the horizon.

Think you understand it? ...

I should admit that while the “Nope Box” may be small, my suggestion that it’s a “quick little cube” is a little ingenuous. Fuller is a master at packing plenty of puzzle into a little package (such as the incredible small button box) and the Nope Box is another great example. It’s number three in his recent “small box series”, which includes four baby boxes so far. These are pocket friendly puzzles that don’t skimp on complexity of craftsmanship, and provide reasonable access to some of his finest work due to their smaller price tag as well. They are great to pass around for conversation pieces while the drinks are being prepared. The Nope Box knows how you are going to solve it, or attempt to do so, and provides a great set of discoveries that make you think you are onto something, when in fact, you are nope. It’s a perfect little puzzle.

Intimate Spaces

I created a tribute to a cozy little bar recently, and thought the drink was also a fitting toast to this tiny little treasure, too. The basic drink template is the Manhattan, that classic cocktail invented some time around 1880 at New York City’s Manhattan Club. This is one classic whose name makes an ounce or two of sense. The original recipe, chronicled in the club’s 1916 edition of its official history, calls for equal parts rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, with a few dashes of orange bitters. The original was thus a mellower and softer version of what you will usually find today, made with two parts rye to one part vermouth, and I stick to the original proportions in this particular creation, although you might not recognize it as such since I’m using aged tequila rather than rye.

Byrrh - it's cold outside! This should warm you up.

In place of traditional vermouth, I’m using the French aromatized wine Byrrh, a specialized aperitif from Thuir, France created by the Violet brothers in 1876. They blended regional Roussillon with local plants, herbs and quinine to create a tonic that they named “Byrrh”, apparently from code letters they found on cloth from their haberdashery shop. “Byrrh Grand Quinquina” has a recognizable historic label and the wine can be seen adorning decades of beautiful old poster art. It’s delicious on its own with fruit and strong cheese, and works well in cocktails of all kinds. I’ve added a touch of rhubarb liqueur to the drink for a pinch of complex sweetness that also turns the drink into a hybrid Manhattan / Old Fashioned. It’s perfect for enjoying a few small moments with something, or someone, unassuming and surprising. Cheers!

This pair is rather intimate

Intimate Spaces

1 ½ oz anejo tequila

1 ½ oz Byrrh Grand Quinquina

¼ oz rhubarb liqueur

Dash of lime bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Lemon twist.

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