Tumbler

I’ll Tumble for You

I’m flush with excitement about introducing this new designer to the world of puzzles and puzzle boxes. He’s got a pair, no, three of a kind of special puzzle design he invented during the quarantine downtime that are quite magical. Get them all and you’ll have a full house of clever items. Ok, let me get straight to the point here – these puzzles are aces.

The Tumbler by Eric Stevens

Eric Stevens is a professional magician and designer who lives in Las Vegas and has worked in the industry in some fashion for twenty years. He has developed and invented numerous illusions and has authored over seven books on magic as well. His most recent project involves playing cards, the basic tool of any self-respecting magician. But this time, the cards are actually the building material for his tricks. He has created a set of puzzles – two puzzle boxes and a puzzle lock – out of playing cards. Stevens has a magician’s mind and understands misdirection and how to play with assumptions. He also understands puzzles, and what makes them fun. He applies that knowledge well and has produced something truly unique.

Play your cards right and it just might open for you

Stevens relates the evolution of the idea: “I wanted to create something special and unique for my friends to do during quarantine, and since I don't have metal or woodworking skills (or access to that material) I tried to think about what I DID have lots of around the house, and the answer came to me rather quickly - PLAYING CARDS!” He invented and improvised as he went, since he was essentially creating something in a medium that had not been done before, to find what worked and what could be done with cards. As it turns out, it’s a lot! 

Peeking allowed ...

I’m particularly fond of The Tumbler, the smaller of the two puzzle boxes. It’s a perfect little gift box with a clever secret that is not obvious and will keep you guessing for a bit. There are two clear “windows” on top that allow you to peek inside. Eric takes care with the little details, adding design elements and flourishes for aesthetic effect and often incorporating the specific features of the playing cards as well. The puzzles look great with standard Bicycle cards but can also be custom made using fancier cards. Keep in mind that this is a puzzle box made from actual playing cards, and must be handled gently – it’s fragile! Anything that should happen does so easily and with no force. Stevens also packages his puzzles in elegant gift boxes with lots of documentation, a hint card, and a solution. It’s all very impressive and an incredible value for the price.

The NegrOld Fashioned

The Tumbler box could really be toasted with just about any cocktail, as long as it’s served in a glass … tumbler. The word has many meanings and one of them is a container for liquid – a glass. Some suggest this derived from seventeenth century drinking vessels with rounded bottoms, known as tumblers, which could not be set down until empty. Let’s select an appropriate glass for this toast to the Tumbler – perhaps, an Old Fashioned glass. In this case, the tumbler is named after the cocktail that typically goes into it. And why buck convention? An Old Fashioned it is, coming right up.

Higher proof rye stands up well to the bittersweet syrup

I’ve written about the history of the Old Fashioned before, many times. Most consider it to be the original cocktail, with its combination of spirit, sugar, water and bitters, that developed naturally during the era of bespoke apothecary elixirs. The name of the drink certainly implies it has been around for a while. The term “cocktail” is another story altogether, and quite sordid and fun. But I digress. Here’s a truly unique Old fashioned I created to complement this truly unique puzzle box. It was recently “Negroni Week”, an annual global charitable event sponsored by the trade magazine Imbibe and Campari. I made a Negroni Old Fashioned by creating a syrup from a Negroni, and using it as the sweetener in an Old Fashioned. It’s incredibly delicious. I don’t know why no one has thought of this before but sometimes you have to look at what you’ve got on hand and simply create something wonderful that no one has thought to do before. I’m looking at you, Eric Stevens. Cheers!

An original pair

NegrOld Fashioned

2 oz rye whiskey

½ oz Negroni syrup

2 dashes aromatic bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite tumbler. Orange twist.

For the syrup: add an equal amount of sugar (about 6 tbs) to 1 ounce each gin, sweet vermouth and Campari together in a sauce pan and simmer to melt the sugar and thicken the liquid until syrupy.

Celebrate with a Negroni or variation, and make a donation to help the hospitality industry.

Visit Negroniweek.com

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