Penultimate Burr Box Set
SeptemBurr Mor’n
Five Cubic Courses, Main Course
“We danced until the night became a brand new day” – Neil Diamond, September Morning
Penultimate Burr Box Set by Eric Fuller
Eric Fuller loves burr puzzles. Just look at the logo for his business, Cubic Dissection (not to mention his tattoo). He also loves to provide good value to his customers, and a whole set of burr sticks that can be used for numerous different challenges is hard to beat for sheer puzzle value. But of course, if he was going to create a burr set, he wanted it to be something unique, not available elsewhere or before. If you are not a burr puzzle lover or don’t even know what I’m talking about, please burr with me. Most burr stick sets use burr pieces which are eight units in length, so Eric decided he would create a set using a six unit length piece. He recruited fellow puzzle maker Ken Irvine, one of the best Burristas around, to perform the analysis on the new 27 piece set. This was no mere coincidence, as Ken had previously run an analysis for the original eight unit pieces which were defined in Peter Van Delft and Jack Botermans “Creative Puzzles of the World”, 1978. Those pieces, and Ken’s extensive work, are used in an existing and variously reproduced collection known as the “Ultimate Burr Set”. The new set by Eric Fuller uses the same pieces found in the “Ultimate”, only shrunk down a bit, which actually turns out to allow for an even greater number of possible assemblies. In addition to hundreds of possible unique combinations and configurations, ranging in difficulty from easy to hard, Ken discovered many new challenges that were not possible with a traditionally sized set, and has even posed additional challenges for anyone interested (or bored of the original 708 challenges) on his own blog.
It’s the second to last word in burr sets
As if having a unique and beautiful burr set made by Eric Fuller from the finest timburr was not enough, the box that contains the set is also rather special. The burrs are revealed the moment the lid is lifted, but where is the instruction manual with all the challenges? Eric had wanted to make a burr set for a while. He had envisioned a humidor type box with a lid and floating panels on top and bottom to hold the pieces. He thought about how to keep it simple and functional, but knowing his fan base, also wanted to add a puzzle box element to it if possible. In typical fashion, he came up with an idea for a hidden compartment that was tricky enough but efficient to make, increasing the work by just 10-12 cuts and a few extra pieces. For example, 1 single cut for the mechanism serves three functions, making the puzzle box addition highly efficient and therefore successful from a production standpoint. Production efficiency allows a lower final price, which also drives the process, planning and decision making for Eric. The “puzzle” of how to add another puzzle to the box in an efficient way, that kept costs down, was fun for Eric. In fact the original design, using a different mechanisms than what is found on the final product, had an error and the prototype didn’t work. But he only discovered this when already half-way through production! Eric relates that his happened on the same day his new landlord sent him an eviction notice for his workshop. In thirty minutes he came up with the new design, using the current cuts that had already been made. Another puzzle solved, on the fly and under duress.
Especially nice during the autumn months**
To toast this laburr of love I’m turning to one of my favorite templates, the equal parts combination of base spirit, bitter spirit and vermouth best known as the Negroni. In that classic the base spirit is gin, the bitter is Campari, and the vermouth is sweet. But there are many, many variations. This one is a riff on a riff of the “Old Pal”, a famous Negroni that swaps the gin for rye whiskey. The Old Pal traces its origins to 1927 and the friendship between Paris based sportswriter William “Sparrow” Robinson and Harry McElhone, the famed proprietor at Harry’s New York Bar. Harry’s in Paris was the place to be and imbibe for expats during prohibition in America. McElhone recounts the tales of his friends in his book, “Barflies and Cocktails”, where we learn that Robinson liked to call every “My Old Pal”. He loved the combination of rye, dry vermouth and Campari that Harry would fix for him, and the drink became legend.
Penultimate Pal
Washington D.C. bartender Gal Karni created a pleasing version of the Old Pal by increasing the ratio of rye and changing the Campari to Aperol in his “Pen Pal”. Here I continue the tradition of making slight changes to a drink and renaming it, to the “Penultimate Pal”. Rather than dry vermouth, I’m switching to dry sherry. I developed a fondness for all the various styles of sherry while creating the Jabberwocky cocktails, which all pay homage to that classic sherry cocktail. In addition to sherry, the original Jabberwock cocktail includes Caperitif, a South African vermouth that can be used like an amaro and works well in this creation, too. I don’t know if there are 708 possible Jabberwock variations that taste good, but here’s one more at any rate. I can almost hear Sparrow Robinson saying, “Why, it’s the Jabberwock, Old Pal!”. Cheers!
I’m an imbiburr describurr
Penultimate Pal
1 oz rye
1 oz fino sherry
1 oz Caperitif
2 dashes sapele bitters*
Stir ingredients over ice and strain into a favorite glass with a single cube. Cocktail pick burr garnish.
*sapele bitters give a warm wood sweetness to the drink but are puzzling to source. Cedar bitters are more easily available and would be a fine substitute, or simply skip the bitters.
A pairing of the finest caliburr
Enjoy the whole meal:
** Septemburr, Octoburr, Novemburr, Decemburr