Mittan

Junichi “Juno” and Yukari Yananose are cat people. Most people are, even when they say they are not. Even people who don’t particularly like cats still enjoy explaining why that is the case, and doesn’t that make them just a little bit of a cat person too? I think these cat “adjacent” folks, and of course all fully fledged cat lovers, will love this offering. Cats are full of personality, so naturally any decent cat puzzle ought to be as well. Juno has wanted to make a cat themed puzzle box for a long time, and now that he has, we can see how well he captured that spirit of personality. Mittan, named after the couple’s own friendly ginger cat, is unquestionably full of personality. Mittan was a rescue cat from Fuji City, and as some may know, Juno and Yukari moved from Japan to Australia over ten years ago. Traveling with cats can be a harrowing experience, but fortunately Mittan made the journey successfully. I have my own rescue cat, who we adopted as a baby after he lost his mother in Hurricane Harvey. I don’t know if he is as sweet as Mittan, but he has his moments. I think I’m the only one who thinks so, by the way.

From Yukari: “As a cat lover, Juno has been thinking of producing cat-shaped puzzles since the very beginning of our puzzle business. The original idea for the Mittan puzzle was much smaller, about half the thickness of the production version, but as we proceeded, Juno decided that it would be nice to have a few more tricks, so he made it bigger and bigger. We once thought we could release the puzzle near the end of 2021, but as it turned out, we needed an extra five months of work to complete the project.”

We are glad Juno and Yukari persevered, because Mittan is an incredibly enjoyable puzzle to experience. The boxes are beautifully crafted from so many types of exotic woods, including Zebrano, Golden Sassafras, Fijian Mahogany, American Black Walnut, Europian Beech, Amoora, Silver Ash, Ironbark, Jarrah, PNG Rosewood, and Bamboo, and because Zebrano wood is so highly figured, each face is unique. Finding the cat’s bell, and placing it where it should normally be found, is a dynamic and fun experience which is full of the creative movements and tricks Juno is well known for producing. There’s even a little treat waiting at the end, a traditional sweet cake typically filled with red bean, custard or chocolate and shaped like a sea breem. Something tells me Mittan would love this little treat. I certainly loved finding it.

Here's a pleasant low alcohol treat to enjoy this summer. It was originally published in 1941 by W.C. Whitfield in his cocktail book, Here’s How, the follow up to his Just Cocktails, 1939. Whitfield praised his art, a “modern art” in fact, as he wrote in his book’s introduction: “The art of mixing drinks - and make no mistake, it is an art - can be definitely fixed as a development of this very modern age of ours.” This selection is a highball, a spirit and soda over ice, which in this case features red wine (claret, in Here’s How). It’s a great way to extend the life of an unfinished bottle, improve the prospects of a less than perfect vintage, or simply enjoy a glass of otherwise excellent wine in an entirely new and seasonal way. I’m especially thrilled to feature this cocktail, because I have a copy of the original book by Whitfield from 1941, which is bound in wood panels and features whimsical illustrations. The book was another incredible gift from my friend Tanner Reyes and I’ve been eager to use one of it’s old recipes.

Whitfield’s original recipe in Here’s How calls for equal parts claret and ginger ale over a “lump of ice”. The vintage drink finds new life in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn at Fresh Kills, an offshoot of the well known Dutch Kills bar. Both are creations of Richard Boccato, a classically trained bartender known for his no-nonsense approach honed in the storied Greenwich Village bar Milk and Honey, which helped start the modern cocktail renaissance and set the standard. Like the bar where it is served, the Kitty Highball is simple and gorgeous, an elegant offering from the classic past and creative present. It’s the cat’s meow. Cheers!

Kitty Highball by W.C. Whitfield c. 1941 (adapted by Richard Boccato)

2 oz red wine

¾ oz ginger syrup (I used Barrow’s Intense liqueur)

½ oz lime

Soda water to top

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a highball glass over ice. Top with chilled soda water. Candied ginger garnish recommended, although a lime wheel cat would also be purrfect.