Hydrant
Cooling Off
We’re in the dog days of summer now here in Houston (which is actually cooler than in many unexpected parts of the country this year), and like any self respecting dog I’m being drawn to this particular puzzle now. Maybe it will help to cool us off.
Hydrant by Stephan Baumegger
The Hydrant was Austrian puzzle designer Stephan Baumegger’s sensational entry in the 2018 International Puzzle Design Competition, where it garnered him a top ten vote award. Stephan recalls having the idea for a fire hydrant puzzle for at least a month prior to launching into this specific design. He became enamored of the classic “American Darling” hydrant (specifically the B-62-B model, introduced in 1962) and knew he would make a puzzle in that shape. Who hasn’t obsessed for a month about a specific model of fire hydrant? Stephan often makes recognizably shaped puzzles, complex interlocking burr affairs with many pieces and many moves. But he has a diverse repertoire of puzzling ideas, and once he decided that the hydrant would not work well as an interlocking puzzle, he began to envision it as a secret opening object, which hid a surprising prize.
No pressure
He gained some valuable insight into the production from the puzzle design competition as well, which led to modifications and improvements. Stephan explains, “the IPP showed that some parts were not strong enough for the IPP testers. I guess everybody [would] handle it with more care, [if they] bought it. One part got broken on both Hydrants, so it was clear [to me] to change this. But how? I got in contact with Diniar Namdarian, who told me what I would need to print this part. So I got into 3d printing and learned a lot in a short time. He designed with “Fusion 360” the parts I needed. I also started with CAD and it was possible for me to change dimensions in the necessary way. A lot of test prints later, we had perfectly working parts. But that was not enough, finally we designed the whole hydrant in a 3d printed version. I build some of them in different colors, but I still wanted to make a new batch out of wood. Now I had perfectly designed and printed parts to build templates for all [of the] needed drilling. It turns out that this was the perfect way to build the new series. But to keep the problem with the broken part under control, I decided to make a hybrid Hydrant. In the new series, two hidden parts are made out of [3D printed] wooden filament. All together the Hydrant is made out of 44 different parts! It is my most complex puzzle I built so far.” Hydrant certainly deserves the award it won – it incorporates many well disguised and clever moves into the fine details of the hydrant theme, and the surprise ending will make you grin.
Fire Hydrant cocktail
On these hot and humid summer days, I was inspired by the hydrant to create a refreshing and cooling drink. I’m a big fan of low alcohol content drinks as well, which can be quite tasty and just might be the perfect refreshment for a lazy weekend by the pool or at the beach. This one couldn’t be simpler, which is just another bonus for a summer drink.
Sure to quench your fire
The drink takes its provenance from a famous modern classic invented by Naren Young of Dante in New York called the Garibaldi. That drink is so named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian General and central figure in Italy’s unification of 1861 which brought north and south together. The cocktail, a simple equal parts mix of fresh orange juice (representing Sicily / the South) and Campari (representing Milan / the North), is a fan favorite and has attained a bit of cult status lately. It works well as a frozen drink, too, which is where we are headed next. I modified the concept using strawberry lemonade, which can be achieved with fresh lemon juice, water, simple syrup and muddled ripe berries, or with a premade mix- go for easy in the summer! The ratios need to be amped up for the frozen version since the ice will dilute things considerably. This one will keep you cool all season. Cheers!
Don’t park in front of this pair
Fire Hydrant
4 oz fresh strawberry lemonade
(1:1:3 ration lemon:sugar:water with muddled berries)
1 ½ oz Campari
1 ½ cups of crushed ice
Blend ingredients and pour into a favorite glass. Lemon wheel or lemon hydrant garnish.
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