Wishing You Well

“Wel is him þat wel ende mai.” [Well is him that may end well.] - The Proverbs of Hendyng, 13th century English prose poem

Beersheba, in the Ottoman Empire at the time, was the site of a pivotal battle in World War I. On October 31, 1917, the Allies led by the British Empire captured a garrison of Ottoman and German forces in what would be the start of the recapture of Jerusalem for the Allies. At the Battle of Beersheba, the newly aligned Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC), which had been infamously defeated at Gallipoli (and whose heroes are honored in Australia on ANZAC day each year) had their moment of victory. The ANZAC 4th Light Horse Brigade, wearing their famous military slouch hats (a national symbol of Australian pride, pinned up on one side to accommodate their shoulder rifles), is widely credited for turning the battle that day, leaping over the enemy trenches on horseback then dismounting and gravely engaging in hand to hand combat with their bayonets.

Beersheba, now in Israel, is also the site of an ancient well which is thought to have been dug and used by Abraham, father of Isaac and Ishmael, the patriarch of both Judaism and Islam. The well, and the fateful story of this moment in time, are commemorated in Brian Young’s latest puzzle. Brian sources his inspiration for puzzle mechanisms from seemingly unlikely places, such as video tutorials about tools, or in this case while on an airplane reading a book called “507 Mechanical Movements” by Henry T. Brown (during the ancient epoch now known as “BC”). He notes these first thoughts about the central mechanism for Abraham’s Well occurred over four years ago, and he then spent three years on the overall design. The main mechanism dictated the shapes needed, which ultimately took on the form of the well. Then everything had to be broken down into many, many parts.

I don't like relying on any chance in my designs. I like elegant solutions where the same set of movements works every time. - Brian Young

The final product is a charming little well, with a wooden base crafted from Queensland Maple, a beautiful wood which can have striking color variations ranging from light pink to rusty brown. A few wells even have this subtle gradation in color noticeable on the base. On top of the well there are brass supports and a “rope” that leads down into the well. The well also has tiny spikes at each corner to discourage any bashing of the puzzle which could be tempting despite Brian’s admonition that no such force is needed to solve the puzzle. There are bricks etched on the sides and the Mr. Puzzle logo on the bottom. It’s really quite unassuming in appearance for such a hyped and heralded, (not so) limited edition puzzle.

Brian made certain this would not be an easy puzzle to solve, however. As the well is disassembled you will potentially discover 23 individual parts, on your way to discovering the very well hidden piece of Australian history which signifies the end of the journey. You can be sure, knowing Mr. Puzzle, that some of these parts are specifically meant to be decoys, and some are meant to be used as tools, and even combined, somehow, in a complex yet elegant way to achieve a crucial step in the solve process. Many have completed the puzzle in their own way, using creative ideas, but not very many have found the intended solution. Brian discovered that accepting the concept of “no brute strength or force” was a hidden challenge for most solvers, who could not come to grips with the idea and invariably went against it to varying degrees. He graciously created a few videos to illustrate the intended process, which is fun to attempt even if it means giving up. I think we can give ourselves a break after this year, and “all’s well that end’s well”, after all.

Here’s a toast, and a wish, to this challenging puzzle and to this challenging year. The toast is a celebration of all we’ve been through, so far, and what is still yet to come, and although there seems no end in sight, I’m ever optimistic. The drink is from Chicago’s Wade McElroy, who came to the windy city from New York in 2011 and has been an award winning fixture in the industry there for the past ten years. Named Eater Chicago’s Bartender of the Year in 2014, his establishments are successful because they evoke the perfect “corner bar” feel and mix unpretentious hospitality with daily creativity.

At his Logan Square “neighborhood hangout” American Bar, he created this delicious mix of mezcal, sloe gin, Salers aperitif, lemon and raspberry. The smoky mezcal is offset beautifully by the tart, floral sloe gin, a perfect seasonal spirit that is just coming into its winter prime. Sloe berries are traditionally harvested after the first frost sometime in late fall or early winter, and sloe gin is then ready after another month or so. Of course most of us don’t make our own, and it’s readily available in stores at any time, but it’s still nice to know the seasons for these things. Saler’s gentian aperitif provides a little herbal bitterness, and raspberry syrup lends a touch of bright sugar to the drink. It’s all quite bittersweet, which I feel is a perfect summary of things and a fitting way to toast the past year. Happy New Year!

Allswell Endswell by Wade McElroy

1 oz mezcal

½ oz sloe gin

½ oz Salers

¾ oz lemon

¾ oz raspberry syrup

4 dashes Angostura bitters

Mint sprig

Add ingredients to a tall glass filled with crushed ice and stir briskly. Garnish with mint (or a lemon peel bucket).

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Fare thee well, 2021