Boxes and Booze, a written celebration of the unusual world of artisan puzzle boxes and the mainstream world of craft cocktails and spirits. It should come as no surprise that these worlds occasionally overlap with cocktail, spirits or writing themed puzzles. I can’t help but be partial to these particular puzzles and have given them a category all their own. Cheers!
Lodeve, in the south of France within the Occitania region, is distinguished for its lush green hills and vineyards.
I’d like to take a moment to say thanks, and share something special with everyone. This time of year is always a good reminder to step back and appreciate the things we have in our lives that are most important.
Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you, smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, "Come and find out". ― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
I’m about to shake things up here at Boxes and Booze – figuratively, literally and otherwise.
“Beer, if drunk in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health.” – Thomas Jefferson
Here’s a beautiful little object which falls into the category of “perfect boxes and booze” puzzle, since the puzzle itself reflects the theme of the blog.
The masu, traditionally made from Japanese cypress wood, is a simple cubic box made to a very specific measurement. These were originally used to measure exactly 1 serving of rice, known in Japanese as “go”
Every so often I come across a puzzle box which happens to embody something inherently apropos for the central theme of this odd blog of mine, which attempts to pair puzzle boxes (and the occasional non-box puzzle) with craft cocktails. I call them “perfect” Boxes and Booze boxes, which is not to imply they are my absolute favorite boxes, but how can I not like them?
The HoKey CoKey Lock was an exchange gift from Steve Nicholls at this year’s IPP. He famously made everyone who received a copy do the actual dance with him first. It was quite a sight.
A few months ago, if you happened to be visiting headquarters and the spirit moved you, you would find yourself steered toward a beautiful old armoire style cabinet which was painted black and had decorative white flowers and a see through mesh which revealed a few choice bottles.
In Japan, the frog is a common symbol of spring, perhaps due to the many species which erupt in song all throughout the rice fields this time of year.
Stephen Chin, the madman wood turner well known for making tippy tops, whistles, eggs and spheres out of beautiful wood has set his considerable talent to fine writing implements as well.
I’ve been meaning to feature this little box for a while, as a way to say thanks. The box in turn was a thank you gift from the maker, Tracy Clemons, who sent it as a companion piece to the original “Writer’s Block”.
Happy World Whisky Day! This holiday really takes me back. All the way to Babylon and Mesopotamia in 2000 BC! Evidence of fermented, distilled grain (whisky!) exists from archaeological sites in the middle east dating all the way back to those ancient times.
“Time is an illusion” – Albert Einstein. I might add that all good illusions could be considered puzzles, and derive that time is a puzzle. Which is quite literally true this time.
At the risk of becoming boxed in, I present a box which turns things inside out for me, as I find myself inside of it. The creative woodworker Tracy Woods Clemons, from Rochester, New York, has been making her designs in wood for many years.
The “Tequila” box is a whimsical creation by Japanese puzzle box maker Osamu Kasho. Kasho is a member of the Karakuri Creation Group, and fond of playful, cartoon-like creations.
There was a time, once upon a time in the not too distant past, when becoming a metagrobolotegestolomixologist was merely a speculative thought experiment meant as clever wordplay.