R Puzzle: Cubicle

by Todd Radford and Bob Mussett

The first step is to idenfity the drinks being made in these pictures. Conveniently, they're arranged alphabetically, and they are:

1. Blue Lagoon (Blue Curacao, vodka, lemonade, a cherry)
2. Fuzzy Navel (Peach Schnapps, orange juice)
3. Godfather (Scotch, Amaretto)
4. Grape Crush (Chambord, vodka, sour mix)
5. Kamakazi (Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime Juice)
6. Margarita (Tequila, Triple Sec, Lime Juice, Salt)
7. Sex on the Beach (Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry juice, Grapefruit juice)
8. Slippery Nipple (Sambuca, irish cream)

The next step is to put the photos in order ("<" means "is before"):

• Spill on the stove: {2, 4, 8) < 7 < 1
• Phone number on hand: 5 < 2 < {7, 8}
• Person leaving: {3, 5, 8} < 6
• Punch bowl: 3 < 5 < 6 < 4
• Cups left: 3 < 2 < 4 < 1

The first two determine that a partial ordering is 5 < 2 < 8 < 7 < 1. Because of the punch bowl, 3 < 5, giving 3 < 5 < 2 < 8 < 7 < 1. 6 is after 8 (person leaving) but before 4 (punch), and 4 is before 7 (spill on the stove). Therefore the order must be 3 < 5 < 2 < 8 < 6 < 4 < 7 < 1.

Listing the drinks in order and reading down the diagonal gives:

1. Godfather
2. kAmakazi
3. fuZzy navel
4. sliPpery nipple
5. margArita
6. grape Crush
7. sex on tHe beach
8. blue lagOon

and the answer is GAZPACHO.