Rocket man

Spaceflight historians acknowledge the three “fathers” of rocketry who helped launch human beings into space. In 1903, Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky published his famous “rocket equation” describing rocket speed, mass and gas propulsion. In 1926, Robert Goddard sent the first actual liquid-fueled rocket aloft, and the inventions of Hermann Oberth (a Nazi engineer) proved invaluable in the ultimate journey to space. Of course there were many others, some with similarly complicated legacies, in the race to space and subsequent innovations which have led us to the modern day emergence of space tourism. Let’s also not forget the “hidden figures” who made human space travel successful, the women Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who only recently have received credit.

For the thirteenth annual Karakuri Creation Group puzzle box “Idea Contest”, Nori Sakurai submitted the idea of a rocket launching into space to the group of craftsmen. The concept captured the imagination of the selection committee and the puzzle box was produced by Shou Sugimoto, who labored over each small decorative detail, even if superfluous to the mechanisms, to make sure the final product looked sensational. His colleague Osamu Kasho comments that he is very good at this, making small parts in his “original way”.

The Japanese creation group’s idea contest is all about pushing the boundaries of what can be imagined in a wooden “box”, a sentiment which has always been at the creative core of the group’s founder, Akio Kamei. How can the movement of a rocket into space be properly portrayed in a static object? What actually happens when we watch a rocket blast into outer space? Sugimoto wished to capture these elements, even down to the blast of fire from the jets as the rocket rises into the air, something he was particular about recreating. Perhaps these steps may prove useful in discovering the secrets of the Lift Off! Box, too. Lift Off is one of the most dynamic Karakuri boxes to be produced in a long time, and has many steps and a “sequential discovery” mechanism to keep you amused while searching for the correct sequence to reveal the secret compartment. It’s an out of this world achievement!

Our toast to this rocket takes us to the Crescent City. Bartender T Cole Newton arrived in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help the city rebuild. He found his place behind the bar and is the successful and award winning owner of Twelve Mile Limit, a term which references a Prohibition era loophole for legal drinking offshore. Last year he released his first book, “Cocktail Dive Bar: Real Drinks, Fake History & Questionable Advice from New Orleans’s Twelve Mile Limit.” Cole’s philosophy is on display in his bar and in his book, where he creates elevated and ingenious cocktails but eschews pretention. I love his comment that “A good cocktail now is better than a perfect cocktail in 10 minutes,” which pretty much sums up how I act behind the scenes, when no one is looking at my ridiculous garnish art.

In Newton’s book he describes a particularly tasty cocktail by downplaying it. He explains that he was looking for a vehicle for Canadian whiskey, which is often considered an afterthought in cocktails, and the rest flowed from there. “I just threw some ingredients together and enjoyed the result. That loosey-goosey process is what led to the name: this doesn’t have to be complicated. It isn’t Rocket Science.” No, it definitely does not, and while there are plenty of elevated, culinary level and even molecular chemistry related techniques in use at fancy cocktail bars, the end product is still just a drink meant to be enjoyed by someone. If it takes you to the moon and the stars, so be it, and maybe you’ve had one too many! Here’s to the humble humans who lift our spirits beyond our imagination while keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground. Cheers!

Rocket Science by T Cole Newton

1 oz Canadian whiskey

½ oz Averna

¼ oz Fernet Branca

¼ oz simple syrup

½ oz lime

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Garnish with a lime wedge (or lime wheel rocket).

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