Apple

Tell Me Another

“To assist each other with aid and every counsel and every favor, with person and goods, with might and main, against one and all, who may inflict on them any violence, molestation or injury, or may plot any evil against their persons or goods.” – the Rütlischwur

This legendary oath was secretly sworn in a forest meadow above Lake Uri at what would become the start of the Swiss liberation in 1307 and ultimately lead to the nation of Switzerland. The hero at the center of this clandestine gathering was William Tell, whose story is well known by every Swiss child and indeed known at least a little bit all around the world. It has something to do with shooting an apple off someone’s head no doubt. If you are not Swiss, you might need a refresher. Tell was a farmer who brazenly refused to doff his hat in reverence to the Hapsburg royalty while entering the town square in Altdorf. Bailiff Gessler, a disagreeable fellow of the court, ordered Tell to shoot an arrow off his son’s head from 120 paces, or face death for himself and his son as punishment. Tell famously hit his mark, an astonishing feat. Gessler spared his life for it, but asked why Tell had placed a second arrow in his coat. Tell explained that one was for Gessler, should he have missed. This of course led to imprisonment, escape, rebellion and war, and William Tell’s crossbow is to this day emblazoned as a symbol on all things Swiss.

We won’t mention that this entire story is likely fiction, as that would be rude and in bad taste. Like all great legends, it doesn’t really matter anymore and is a story that has captivated the imagination of the world ever since. The image of an arrow through an apple, or any other manner of small object, is ubiquitous now and can be found everywhere – like here, in this wonderful puzzle box by Japanese master craftsman Akio Kamei. Like many original objects created by Kamei in the late eighties, the Apple was very difficult to manufacture. Kamei’s skill in turning and carving is elegantly displayed in the beautiful apple, and it is wonderful that he was ultimately able to solve the production concerns and offer the puzzle to collectors as version “II”.

Not to be confused with an 8-bit home computer

Kamei notes that he wanted to make a box which made people wonder, “How was it made?”. Like an “impossible object”, the wooden arrow is a single movable piece that pierces through the upper half of the sakura and walnut sculpture. The arrow slides, the stem twists, and the apple halves turn, but will not open. Kamei again uses logic and common sense in his solution, something he is fond of doing and which led to many of his innovative mechanistic inventions and his own modern puzzle box revolution.

Fall is upon us. It’s time to reach for the flavors of the season with an apple cocktail from the Big Apple. I’m toasting Kamei’s Apple puzzle with a cocktail creation from a pair of friends from New York, Tiffany and Joe, who host the “Two Coupes” cocktail feed. Theirs is an adorable story of two entertainers sharing great drinks in the city, and their photos always feature, you guessed it, a pair of cocktails. They have one of the best home bars in Manhattan, I’d wager, and often feature their own creative cocktails.

Their Aplomb is a real treat for the season and I could hardly wait for apple season to mix one up. They relate that the drink emerged from a desire to create a Manhattan riff that expressed the change in season from summer to fall. It’s anchored with apple brandy, split slightly with rye whiskey, and balanced with Amontillado sherry, a great nutty flavored choice for fall. Joe explains, “Having floral & citrus notes play with fall fruits like apples & pears and tied together with the fresh herbal notes of rosemary. The amontillado brings in nutty salinity and a juicy acidity as a replacement for sweet vermouth. The split base of rye provides accents of spice and vanilla.” Sweetness also comes from a mix of delicious grapefruit liqueur and a hint of rosemary syrup which lends a nice touch of seasonal flavor. The playful bitters round it all out. What about the name? Again from Joe, “I believe when I created this one the word popped into my head as a play on the word apple. Also, Tiffany was about to start rehearsals for her 10th season of Rockettes and I thought the cocktail presented itself a bit showy!” It’s a lovely composed and self-assured drink – I think it shows great aplomb. Cheers!

Aplomb by Two Coupes

1 oz apple brandy

½ oz rye

¾ oz Amontillado sherry

¼ oz pear brandy

¼ oz pamplemousse liqueur

1 tsp rosemary syrup

1 dash grapefruit and lavender bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Arrow through the apple garnish optional!

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