Dialed In

Dial Case

Dial Case by Juno

Something special typically surfaces around this time of year out of the cold winter weather experienced in the southern hemisphere on the other side of the world, from my spot on earth, at any rate. I’m talking about the somewhat annual sequential discovery puzzle box release by Junichi Yananose, known by all as Juno, who with his wife Yukari run the Pluredro puzzle shop in Queensland Australia. It may be Juno’s competitive nature which leads to these timely releases, that each seem to garner puzzle awards and accolades from all who experience them, but it has become a highlight of the season to look forward to now. Yukari shared some insight from Juno about his newest creation.

dial it down

Lucky for those of us who love to be puzzled by interesting, challenging, unique and surprising mechanical conundrums, Juno has many ideas for new sequential discovery puzzles. Dial Case was just his most recent, a natural alternative in “relatively simple design” compared with last year’s “concrete form” of Mittan, his International Puzzle Design Competition Grand Prize winning kitten themed delight. The jury is still out on Dial Case, but I feel bad for the other entries. Juno just knows how to make clever, multi-step, unusual, creative and satisfying puzzles.

do touch that dial

I always wonder how a puzzle comes into being, from conception to production. Working with wood is well known to be potentially problematic, and craftsmen have many ways to mitigate the issues.  “Working with wood, which constantly warps, has always been a challenge. The problems that arise during manufacturing are not always easily solved, resulting in many sacrifices.” Although Juno did not specify exactly what sacrifices had to be made, the final result feels absolutely complete, and full of all the expected Juno touches and tricks. Brief exploration of the Dial Case will quickly reveal there is a drawer on one end. This proved to need a few changes in design. “Originally, a different mechanism was planned for removing the drawer. However, due to the high likelihood of it being forcefully solved in unintended ways, the chosen mechanism was changed.” This process does not seem unusual for Juno, who has learned from past experiences how to test and modify his puzzles so there are no shortcuts.

butt dial?

He also wants to make sure no unintended actions might cause a puzzle to become stuck or unsolvable. “There are many ideas that were not adopted from the list of candidates. If adopting a certain mechanism is expected to cause any problems and a solution cannot be found, it will be decided to not proceed with its adoption.” With sequential discovery puzzles, false solutions or fatal flaws are always a risk, so Juno attempts to make everything work as seamlessly as possible. His pieces are smooth and stable, and each discovered tool works as intended, if you can only figure out in what way.

I’ve got Juno on speed dial

Dial Case “was manufactured using two CNC routers and various common woodworking machines. The wood used includes Silky Oak, Fijian Mahogany, Koto, and Jarrah.” Juno is constantly innovating and improving production efficiencies with each new design. “During the production of puzzles, there is always something new to learn. Even when creating similar shapes, Juno always seeks better methods.” Dial Case is classic Juno, using simple design to disguise complex mechanism which interact in unexpected ways and use tools creatively. There are steps that are reminiscent of other designs, but Juno always stays one step ahead and implements things in new ways. He lures you in with a quick discovery, only to stop you in your tracks, for days on end (in my case), until the next step can be found. Dial Case also has a novel “ending”, delivered in a clever way inside the final compartment, presenting you with a brand new puzzle to solve. It is, as expected, a delight. Juno can rest assured that his wish has been granted: “It would bring Juno great joy if people who hold the puzzle find it enjoyable.”

Casanova cocktail by Salvatore Dali

I had to get a bit creative myself to come up with a decent toast for Juno’s artistic new conundrum. Searching for “dial” cocktails reveals that there was a very clever and now vintage cocktail shaker which allowed the user to literally dial in various recipes for classic cocktails. The shaker has been reproduced and is widely available. However, no specific “dial” cocktail exists, and I considered creating one. But I decided to turn this into a puzzle instead, and rearranged the letters, until I got: Dali.

 From Les Diners de Gala:

This is quite appropriate when circumstances such as exhaustion, overwork or simply excess of sobriety are calling for a pick-me-up.

Here is a well-tested recipe to fit the bill.

Let us stress another advantage of this particular pep-up concoction is that one doesn’t have to make the sour face that usually accompanies the absorption of a remedy.

At the bottom of a glass, combine pepper and ginger. Pour the bitters on top, then brandy and “Vielle Cure.” Refrigerate or even put in the freezer.

Thirty minutes later, remove from the freezer and stir the juice of the orange into the chilled glass.

Drink… and wait for the effect. 

It is rather speedy.

feel like a Casanova

Believe it or not, Dali, the famous surrealist painter, had a cocktail he created. Believe it or not, he wrote an entire cookbook, Les Diners de Gala, 1973, in which said cocktail was featured. The drink, which Dali amorously dubbed “The Casanova”, is an intriguing mix of orange juice, Campari, ginger, brandy, “old brandy”, and cayenne pepper. What exactly is “old brandy”, one might ask? Thoughtfully, the book specifies that this refers to Vieille Cure, a French monastic (the Abbaye de Cenon) herbal liqueur made from armagnac and cognac infused with herbs, spices, sugar and honey, which ceased production in 1986. Historical comparisons commonly include Chartreuse, although it was likely unique. But recreating the recipe with sweeter yellow Chartreuse proved highly effective. The original recipe, which calls for juice from a whole orange, is heavy handed, and modern tastes would steer away from so much orange juice. I dialed it back to one ounce, which was just right. This modern day Casanova will seduce you – cheers!

surreal pair

Casanova (adapted from Salvatore Dali)

2 oz cognac

1 oz yellow Chartreuse

½ oz Campari

1 oz fresh squeezed orange

2 dashes habanero tincture

Ginger coin

Muddle the ginger slice in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add the remaining ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a seductive glass. Dali-esque melting dial case garnish, optional.

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