Cola Conundrum

Sometimes, you just want a soda. Sure, you know it’s bad for you, basically sugar-water and chemicals, and that you really shouldn’t indulge. But life is too short for the ascetic life, right? So grab a cold cola and Catch The Wave of new 3D printed puzzles with Cola Conundrum, by James Fortune of Fortunate Son Puzzles, while you’re at it – It’s The Puzzle That Satisfies.

James, whose professional background is in supply chain, got bitten by the bug of mechanical puzzles during the pandemic when he found himself working from home. He bought a 3D printer and started making other people’s interlocking puzzle designs, but it wasn’t long before he began to tinker with fusion 360 and burrtools, which led to making designs of his own. Simple burr type puzzles blossomed into more complex versions, and he ultimately tried his hand at creating sequential discovery puzzles with tools and secret mechanisms. His first such effort was a hybrid SD burr called SDTV, which looked like an old fashioned television. He realized that he enjoyed a nice theme for his puzzles.

“Cola Conundrum specifically was inspired by my desire to make everyday objects into themed puzzles. I really enjoy a theme, and feel it helps inspire the design and gives me some direction to tie the mechanical steps into it.”

James took his idea for a soda vending machine puzzle, which would ultimately release a can of soda, and developed it further. A few steps would not work quite how he had envisioned, and had to be redesigned. One step during the solve in particular was the most challenging to design, and in his prototypes, which he sent out to friendly beta testers, it was quite a bit more difficult. “I felt it was a bit blind/potentially frustrating, so I dialed it back.” The current iteration seems just right, with a nice trick to it that is not obvious, but can be deduced with some experimentation and logic. It’s the Pause That Refreshes. One final step had to be shelved as well for various reasons, which is all part of the process in puzzle design. The final version hits a sweet spot – it’s the Real Thing.

James has a few more ideas in store as well. “As far as future puzzles go, I have a complimentary set of SDs in the works, that I just have not had the time to give a ton of attention to lately. One is a guitar and one is an amplifier. I hope to complete both of these sometime this year. As far as anything else, I just hope people enjoy the solve, find the theme interesting and additive, and hope it is a cool puzzle to display on a shelf!”

Cola Conundrum is typically produced as a red vending machine with a white lettered “COLA” inscribed on it, reminiscent of another popular recreational beverage. You probably Can’t Beat The Real Thing, but I asked James to make a pair of special versions which tie into the cocktail toast for his puzzle. I’d Like to Buy The World A Cola, but at least I got one for this drink’s creator, who received the other one of the special pair. Sother Teague is a world-renown ambassador of the spirit world, and you don’t even need a séance to conjure him. You might find him behind the bar at his “Bitters Emporium” Amor y Amargo in Brooklyn, or hear him on The Speakeasy, his excellent podcast hosted by Heritage Radio Network. He is the least pretentious “mixologist” you can find, a champion of anyone interested in making good drinks, as long as you “show the work”, and has hosted the annual “Home Bartender of the Year” awards (which I have sadly lost over and over) for many seasons.

He told me about how this week’s toast, the “Mountain Suze”, a virally popular “oddball highball” which combines the classic French bitter Suze with the neon green American soda Mountain Dew, came to exist. “It’s a definite Hi/Low concoction. Robert Simonson (spirits writer from the NYTimes) among other people was at my place for a backyard cookout and the topic of how drink names are so important to the success or failure of a cocktail. The topic turned to how some names likely preceded the actual drink, not unlike how people often say “that’d make a great band name” and in fact many bartenders keep a running list of names going long before a drink is made. We started tossing some current names out that likely fit that model, shots like Ferrari (Fernet-Campari), Maserati (mezcal-Ramazotti) etc came up and my partner Nat (also a bartender) suggested Mountain Suze. We all chuckled and moved on. I said I thought it might work, grassy bitterness from Suze with citrusy-sweet MD could be palatable. But the notion rolled around in my head for months until I finally actually made one on camera. The results were surprisingly good. Not something I’d order or put on menu anywhere but, I wouldn’t refuse one on a hot summer day.” Teague is referring to a video he made the first time he actually mixed one up, in which he now famously exclaims how delicious it was, using language as colorful as the drink. Make one for yourself this summer (this is definitely one cocktail you can make, I promise), and exclaim for yourself. Cheers!

Cola Conundrum puzzle and Mountain Suze cocktail by Sother Teague — Have A Poke And A Smile

Mountain Suze by Sother Teague

approx 2 oz Suze

approx 6 oz Mountain Dew

Add Suze to an ice filled highball glass. Pour Mountain Dew down a spoon or straw to top and stir. No garnish needed but did you know you can use the soda can tab as a straw holder?

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