Siesta
Nap Time
There is more refreshment and stimulation in a nap, even of the briefest, than in all the alcohol ever distilled – Ovid
The giant panda is one of the more adorable animals in the world. With its distinctive and uniform black and white markings it is instantly recognizable. Some people think that pandas are fierce game hunters in the wild because they have read how a panda eats, shoots and leaves. These people are merely victims of syntactic ambiguity, and should be pitied. The are also prone to shooting an elephant in their pajamas, and of being antisocial to their families because visiting relatives can be boring.
Siesta by Yoh Kakuda
A panda is a folivore, and most certainly eats shoots and leaves. Bamboo makes up 99% of a panda’s diet. As far as bears go, they are of the cuddly variety. They are indigenous to central China and only recently were considered endangered. Currently they are listed as “vulnerable”, possibly because people keep trying to disturb their naps.
Easy does it now ...
Japanese Karakuri artist Yoh Kakuda has created another wonderful puzzle box to join the other animals in the menagerie. “Siesta” features a giant panda doing what it does best, taking a nap. For their annual exhibition, Kakuda took some literary license with the theme, “GO”, which means “five” in Japanese. Rather than focus on the numerical meaning, Kakuda expanded the word to “GO-SUI”, which means nap, or siesta. He thought about what types of animals love to nap, like the koala, cat, ferret, capybara, bear - even the fisherman! Ultimately, “the panda had the most impact on sleeping”. He also loved the black and white color contrast.
Your goal is to open the beautiful drawer, which has lovely palm leaves inlayed at the corners. But, the panda is so sensitive! Any little noise might wake him up. “At first, I was thinking of a story that caused a panda to wake up with the sound of opening the drawer. However, the story is hard to tell, so I decided not to wake up the panda at the goal. Either way, it's a panda with a light sleep.” Kakuda is fond of automata and brilliant at incorporating animated movements into his designs. In this case, the panda will literally wake up when you try to open the drawer. The movement is splendid and delightful, and the panda even appears to have an annoyed expression on his face as he sits up. It’s fun to fail, over and over, just to watch this happen. Finding the solution requires stealth, cunning, and a quiet touch. Siesta is a wonderful creation and one of Kakuda’s finest.
Bamboo Slushy by Natasha David
To celebrate this beautiful box we need the perfect panda potion. When pandas head out on the town, there’s really only one cocktail they ever order – the Bamboo. The Bamboo is the most classic of all sherry cocktails, made with just sherry and vermouth, like a sherry martini. It’s closely related to the Adonis cocktail, which is also sherry and vermouth. While the Adonis has sweet sherry, the Bamboo historically has dry. Of course, numerous ratios, combinations of sweet and dry sherry, and variations exist and continue to be developed. The provenance of the Bamboo is somewhat obscure, being ascribed to “an Englishman” who introduced it to the New York bar scene in an 1886 American newspaper. The man who popularized it, however, can be found in “The World’s Drinks and How to Mix Them”, by William T. “Cocktail” Boothby, 1908, wherein he references one Louis Eppinger of the Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan. It’s fitting that we are using this cocktail to toast another fine Japanese creation. Eppinger was a well known German bartender who made his fame in San Francisco, and was hired to bring American cocktail culture to the newly opened Japanese hotel in 1889. The Japanese went on to evolve the cocktail craft within their own culture, and have been doing so ever since. They were never affected by Prohibition, and arguably have a richer and more developed history than our own.
The Bamboo never had it so good
The Bamboo is also the secret handshake of the bar industry. The main ingredients are still a bit obscure to most Americans, but also readily available in a wealth of variety and quality nowadays. This allows for a lot of playfulness, knowledge and prowess to be expressed by those in the know. It’s also a low abv drink, having less alcohol than a typical cocktail, which is also appealing to professionals and novices alike who appreciate the flavors and culinary craft over the proof. Here’s a vibrant and unusual Bamboo variation from Natasha David, Imbibe Magazine’s Bartender of the Year and proprietor of Nitecap in New York City. Her cocktails are whimsical, creative and delicious - just like Kakuda's creations. This one is described as a cross between a Bamboo and a fruit smoothie. It’s absolutely perfect for a warm afternoon and will make you fall in love with sherry. Now, I’m off for a nap – cheers!
Boxes and Bambooze
Bamboozicle Slushy by Natasha David
1 ½ oz Amontillado sherry
¾ oz blanc vermouth
¾ oz dry vermouth (I used Cocchi Americano instead)
¼ oz banana rum
¾ oz fresh orange juice
½ oz strawberry puree (use two large strawberries)
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz water
½ cup ice
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Festive garnish of choice.
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