Father William
LCPP - Part II
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
- Lewis Carroll
Father William by Peter Hajek
Dr. Peter Hajek is a Professor of clinical psychology, and an avid collector of artisan puzzles. His background serves him well in understanding how the mind works, and he uses that knowledge in crafting his wonderful puzzle designs. His contribution to the Lewis Carroll Puzzle Project is truly delightful and has all of the signature elements one would expect from him. He knows how you think, and will use it against you! Father William is a handsome box, one of the larger in the set, with an engraving of the character from Alice in Wonderland on top of the mixed media box.
Don’t you know you are old, Father William?
From Peter: “My contribution is a box I was thinking of for some time. It involves a few discoveries and tricks, culminating in an apparently impossible move, which is in fact a magic trick.” That “magic trick” is at the heart of this puzzle box and is what inspired the connection with the Lewis Carroll character. If you are familiar with the book, you will recall that Father William is found in a poem (as with many of the characters) which recounts our hero defying his incredulous son, who feels that his father ought to act his age, with feat after feat of acrobatic and vital prowess. The poem concludes:
‘I have answered three questions, and that is enough’
Said his father: ‘Don’t give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I’ll kick you down-stairs!’
This may or may not be a clue, I really couldn’t say. The box itself was made by Pelikan Puzzles, a familiar collaboration for Peter, who designs his puzzle boxes but does not do the main woodwork himself.
The Father William martini
The Father William toast needs a little background information as well. As with all of the drink pairings for this special set of puzzle boxes, it is a variation on the 1930 Savoy Jabberwock cocktail, but perhaps truly in a class of its own. The cocktail is an homage to another Father William, Reverend William Daley, who is the director of the Newman Center for Faith and Reason at the University of Notre Dame. Father William is also a notable figure in the craft cocktail renaissance, and has been featured at Tales of the Cocktail (the annual Spirits industry awards event) and in the pages of Death and Company’s acclaimed cocktail book (page 14). He notes a common kinship between bartenders and priests: “Someone comes to church because they’re lonely, they’re sad, or they’re celebrating a life or a marriage — people go to a bar because they’re looking for friends, they’ve lost a job, or they just got engaged and want to buy their friends a round of drinks,” he says. “The best bartenders who can figure out what their patron needs would also be excellent ministers — they’re meeting a human being where they are, and they’re hopefully bringing them some warmth and companionship along the proper dimension. That’s what we do together in our work, and that’s why we have a bond.”
A well balanced drink
The good reverend is fond of many classics, but has often extolled the virtues of a proper gin martini. His professed ideal proportions are with 2:1 gin to vermouth, in the old fashioned style of martinis that are far more well balanced than the ultra-dry gin bombs some insist on loving. To each his or her own, the martini is a very personal drink. For this toast, in a nod to Father William, I created a Jabberwock variation on the 2:1 martini. The gin and fino sherry from the original cocktail remain, but the Caperitif vermouth is traded for an herbal liqueur from the alpine regions of Europe, known as Genepy. Light green, delicately floral and sweeter than Chartreuse, it adds a perfect complement to the dry sherry and a touch of elegance to the final martini. It’s a bit of magic in the glass and perfect for this magical puzzle. Cheers!
A seminal pair
Father William
2 oz gin
½ oz Fino sherry
½ oz Genepy des Alpes
2 d lemon bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a festive glass. Balance a lemon peel eel on the nose.
For other boxes and booze from the series: