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Percentage of adult Americans who do not drink any type of alcohol (including wine), according to a 2016 Wine Market Council Industry Report. That leaves the rest of us (63 percent) who do. Of the adult Americans who drink alcohol, 37 percent drink wine.

What is the purpose of this antique tavern vessel?

A. To decant wine by pouring it through the holes into another container

B. To accommodate multiple straws for communal drinking

C. To challenge the drinker to consume the contents without spilling them

D. To pour multiple servings of grog at a time

The so-called “puzzle jug” was popular in homes and taverns in the 18th and 19th centuries. It descended from earlier drinking puzzles, such as the fuddling cup and King/Tinker mug, examples of which date back to medieval times. An inscription on the jug typically challenges the drinker to drink from the vessel in such a way that the beverage does not spill. The solution? The jug has a hidden tube, one end of which is the spout. The tube usually runs around the rim and then down the handle, with its other opening inside the jug and near the bottom. To solve the puzzle, the drinker must suck from the spout end of the tube. To make the puzzle more interesting, some jugs had a number of additional holes, which had to be closed off before the contents could be drained.

“We think of syrah as pinot noir with more structure. Syrah is for pinot noir lovers with really sophisticated palates.”

—Greg Harrington
Owner/Winemaker, Gramercy Cellars
Walla Walla, Washington

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