Dead Herring Box

Doog Menzies is at it again. Or it may be more appropriate in this case to say he is at it again again. Like the best puzzle designers, his mind sees things the rest of us may not. While we are busy trying to figure out what exactly might be going on inside one of his inviting wooden boxes, and busy feeling satisfied when we deduce it, he is busy imaging all of the other ways things might have worked out. Thus is the case with his Dead Herring Box (DHB), a sequel to its predecessor, the Red Herring Box (RHB), that looks identical, but is completely different. While the former was full of misdirection and decoys, as the name suggests, the latter is actually a bona fide fishing expedition, full of misdirection and decoys. Which makes it really challenging to keep a fish alive. Sorry, I know that may be confusing, but it’s not my fault. Blame Doog.

“RHB 2.0 has a very busy look because of the deliberate red herrings. I had hardly completed my prototype when I realised that a multitude of other mechanisms could be driven by these external features. DHB was born when I settled on a fun concept. Opening the box without killing the fish. I’ve watched many people fiddle endlessly with different puzzles and eventually find the solution. This box has an extra challenge that will slow people down and make them think about what might be going on inside. As my introduction states, “You could twist and turn, poke and prod, fiddle and twiddle and eventually the lid would open, but you only get one chance to do it humanely.”

While there is certainly no need to have experienced or solved the RHB to enjoy the DHB, it is a fun parallel to see them side by side and recall how the first is solved while attempting the second. I’m not sure whether it may, in fact, be less helpful … dare I say, harmful … to know the solution to the first. Doog wouldn’t have planned it this way, certainly not …? That would seem downright devious, or devilish. Or legendary, if we are being honest about what we enjoy. This is a judgement free zone, masochists are welcome.

“RHB 2.0, CH.13 and DHB all use the same box carcass. This has allowed me a certain amount of continuity in my build process. Even though costs are creeping up I’ve managed to keep the price the same by streamlining where possible. This time, I asked the puzzle world how many copies to make and four batches of 12 seemed appropriate. A lot of internal components are small and easily stored so I try to make enough for all the copies. The decision to produce most of the internal components first was made easy because my table saw motor wore out. The replacement motor took several weeks to arrive.”

stopping Dead in one’s tracks (in the Dead of night) - courtesy of Doog Menzies

Doog manufactures his puzzles in his tiny workshop set in the French Alps. Many have seen the photo of this idyllic little cabin, and marvel at what he can accomplish with such a small footprint. Of course Doog purposefully keeps his production runs small and tidy, and plans efficiencies as much as he possibly can. It helps keep him content while making these fantastic boxes, balancing productivity and cost with enjoyment and creativity. His parallel collaboration with Czech designer Radek Micopulos is also going well.

“In my head, I still think of this as a hobby so do not calculate running costs that much. I do know that my small table saw has been used to make about 200 boxes so an €80 motor is probably not too bad. My collaboration with Radek is going from strength to strength. There are now six Demonticons with another prototype already made. Two other projects are being worked on simultaneously but we are taking it slowly and cannot say too much today. We really know each other well now. Our biggest problem is the vast amount of good ideas. We neither have time to produce every design nor space in each puzzle for every mechanism. My yacht engineering life was dominant last year and really ate into my puzzle time. This was due to a single big contract, but I’m now back to normal so expect at least one more box this year.”

Dead Heering cocktail — The Dead Heering

Fans of Doog’s puzzle work have something to celebrate in the DHB. It’s another clever, fun and well built box with numerous steps that capture the imagination. The added objective of solving the box without killing the herring lends a bit of mystery and trepidation to each exploratory step, and fear that perhaps you have already committed piscicide, but won’t find out for sure until you can carefully open the box. I was frustratingly close for so long, convinced that Doog had hidden just one more well guarded step that I simply could not figure out. A good puzzle makes you question that, and wonder if maybe something is broken, or stuck. You don’t want to admit that, and embarrass yourself by perhaps asking the designer just to confirm you are not crazy. No, you wouldn’t do that, would you? Fortunately, fish, like cats I guess, have many lives, and Doog provides you with the chance to redeem yourself, or more likely to have your friends accidentally kill a fish, too.

I’m cautiously raising a glass to toast the Dead Herring Box, Doog Menzie’s sequel to his Red Herring Box. For the RHB, which is full of red herrings, I created a red herring kind of cocktail, that looks just like fruit punch, but is of course a much tastier, and bitter, Negroni-esque drink. The cocktail had Campari, to lend the needed red coloring, and Cherry Heering, for a touch of needed sweetness that also plays with the theme. The “Red Heering” cocktail has a base spirit of Scandinavian aquavit, again to play off the herring theme. It’s a nice cocktail, inspired by a nice, if naughty, puzzle box.

Following the theme once again, the Dead Heering cocktail takes its cues from its predecessor. The Dead Herring Box was made to look identical to the box that preceded it, so I probably should have made an identical appearing cocktail as well, but I leaned into the dead over the red. Swapping Campari for the darker amaro Cynar gives the drink a more somber hue, and introduces richly sweet flavors of artichoke, herbs, brown sugar and chocolate. That might have been enough, but a little dose of the super bitter Fernet Branca really sealed the deal. I suppose I was feeling morose after killing that fish. I’m not sure which cocktail I like better, because like these puzzle boxes, they are both really good. Cheers!

Dead Heering

1 oz aquavit

¾ oz Cynar

½ oz Cherry Heering

½ oz Fino sherry

¼ oz Fernet Branca

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass over a large cube.

explore more:

Dead Ringer

Dead Herring Box

Matters of the Heart