A new version of the August Cocktail puzzle has been posted. It includes instructions for the twist and some information about solving for the final answer. If the first version proved too difficult for you, or you need a nudge to get you to the final answer, take a look. This means that the time period to get on the No Help Leaderboard is over, but you will still get your name on the list of solvers when you submit the correct answer before the solution is posted in several weeks.
If you would like access to the puzzle and have not joined, sign up at my Patreon page. You can find the harder version there as well if you would like to try to solve that instead.
The entire year of puzzles has a hidden final answer which will likely not be found until late in the year. If you do find it, there's a link under the current puzzle submission on the right side of the page that will let you enter the answer. You get only one chance to enter the answer for the year, so guess wisely.
Email me with any questions or concerns at cocktails@negroni.fun.
Cheers!
My name is Martin Reinfried, and in some circles, I
am known as Negroni. I have been writing puzzles for a long time, both
for work and for fun, and I have always been enamored of cryptic
crosswords, especially variety cryptics. I have written several
variety cryptics, some for fun, some appearing in the MIT Mystery
Hunt, and some published in the National Puzzlers League's Enigma
magazine. Most of the variety cryptics I have written can be accessed
at negroni.fun/puzzles. I am
a software engineer, and I have been a co-founder of a couple of
companies, including Shinteki, where I wrote a mobile app to run
puzzle-based events. I live in Telluride, CO with my wife Dennise and
son Max, and I look forward to providing you with a steady stream of
variety cryptic puzzles.
| Name | Solve Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaggy | 08-10 17:24 | ||||
| 2 | Codiak | 08-10 22:21 | ||||
| 3 | jyu | 08-13 19:14 | ||||
| 4 | Golem | 08-14 19:14 | ||||
| 5 | Dannyvee | 08-15 12:17 | ||||
| 6 | Donimo | 08-15 16:03 | ||||
| 7 | Raygirl | 08-15 16:27 | ||||
| 8 | Seth Rotkin | 08-15 20:06 | ||||
| 9 | Pair-o-ducks | 08-16 12:27 | ||||
| 10 | Abide | 08-16 21:47 | ||||
| 11 | LL | 08-17 14:37 | ||||
| 12 | Todd etter | 08-17 15:52 |
| Name | Solo? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abide | yes | ||||
| adamsimonlevine | no | ||||
| Codiak | yes | ||||
| dandre | no | ||||
| Danny K Bernstein | no | ||||
| Dannyvee | yes | ||||
| DIS | yes | ||||
| Donimo | yes | ||||
| Dukael | yes | ||||
| Eckless | yes | ||||
| Golem | yes | ||||
| hashbrown | yes | ||||
| Hector | yes | ||||
| I. K. Snamhcok | no | ||||
| Itaipines | no | ||||
| JanglerNPL | no | ||||
| jbird | no | ||||
| jus10 | no | ||||
| jyu | yes | ||||
| ladida | yes | ||||
| LL | yes | ||||
| ManyPinkHats | yes | ||||
| Millwood | yes | ||||
| nilradical | no | ||||
| noneuclidean | yes | ||||
| Pair-o-ducks | yes | ||||
| phykos | yes | ||||
| ProgChamps | no | ||||
| Raygirl | yes | ||||
| RPardoe | yes | ||||
| Seth Rotkin | yes | ||||
| Shaggy | yes | ||||
| stribs | yes | ||||
| tabascq | yes | ||||
| thanman2 | no | ||||
| tigerosnap | yes | ||||
| Todd etter | yes |
| Name | Streak | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaggy | 4 | ||||
| Codiak | 4 | ||||
| jyu | 4 | ||||
| Golem | 4 | ||||
| Donimo | 4 | ||||
| LL | 4 | ||||
| Dannyvee | 3 | ||||
| Raygirl | 3 | ||||
| Seth Rotkin | 3 | ||||
| Abide | 3 | ||||
| Pair-o-ducks | 1 | ||||
| Todd etter | 1 |
| Name | Points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaggy | 8 | ||||
| Codiak | 8 | ||||
| jyu | 8 | ||||
| Golem | 8 | ||||
| Donimo | 8 | ||||
| LL | 8 | ||||
| phykos | 7.5 | ||||
| Dannyvee | 7 | ||||
| Raygirl | 7 | ||||
| JanglerNPL | 7 | ||||
| Seth Rotkin | 7 | ||||
| Abide | 7 | ||||
| jus10 | 7 | ||||
| thanman2 | 7 | ||||
| stribs | 7 | ||||
| Eckless | 6.5 | ||||
| Hector | 6.5 | ||||
| noneuclidean | 6 | ||||
| I. K. Snamhcok | 6 | ||||
| Dukael | 6 | ||||
| ManyPinkHats | 6 | ||||
| Steve Williams | 6 | ||||
| Tabascq | 6 | ||||
| Veep | 6 | ||||
| John Ananny | 6 | ||||
| Millwood | 5.5 | ||||
| hashbrown | 5 | ||||
| adamsimonlevine | 5 | ||||
| ladida | 5 | ||||
| gppasco | 5 | ||||
| gifo | 5 | ||||
| Al | 5 | ||||
| xhixen | 5 | ||||
| Jigsaw | 5 | ||||
| DIS | 4.5 | ||||
| Pair-o-ducks | 4 | ||||
| tigerosnap | 4 | ||||
| nilradical | 4 | ||||
| RPardoe | 4 | ||||
| dandre | 4 | ||||
| Disco Anne | 4 | ||||
| AK37 | 4 | ||||
| bosco | 4 | ||||
| Aaron Riccio | 4 | ||||
| lessachu | 4 | ||||
| Ed | 4 | ||||
| Naptown Kid | 4 | ||||
| Todd Etter | 4 | ||||
| ProgChamps | 3 | ||||
| Danny K Bernstein | 3 | ||||
| Itaipines | 3 | ||||
| Gwinns | 3 | ||||
| JrMan | 3 | ||||
| NYWanderer | 3 | ||||
| Circles All the Way Down | 3 | ||||
| Joe | 3 | ||||
| DJB | 3 | ||||
| bng17 | 3 | ||||
| Todd etter | 2 | ||||
| FrotzNPL | 2 | ||||
| bng17 | 2 | ||||
| link2like | 2 | ||||
| Rincon | 2 | ||||
| Louis D | 2 | ||||
| Burak O'Drama | 2 | ||||
| ryoustra | 2 | ||||
| RAK-L | 2 | ||||
| jowens | 2 | ||||
| Eduardo | 2 | ||||
| zfarr | 2 | ||||
| azmat | 2 | ||||
| Rand | 2 | ||||
| Tane | 2 | ||||
| Wombat | 2 | ||||
| jbird | 1 | ||||
| tabascq | 1 | ||||
| JBLADS | 1 | ||||
| Azmat | 1 | ||||
| Jesse & Greg | 1 | ||||
| spongeamy1 | 1 | ||||
| Pair-o-Ducks | 1 | ||||
| Link | 1 | ||||
| josephwnelson | 1 | ||||
| xor | 1 | ||||
| Roger Wolff | 1 | ||||
| Jesse | 1 | ||||
| Selenium | 1 |