Oysters of North America Letterpress Print

Up Your Shell Game

One of the questions I get most about my oyster journal is "Are there really 33 different oysters?" The answer is absolutely! Just as there are many varieties of wine grapes, there are five species of oysters available in North America, and more worldwide. Even within a species, they taste very different depending on growing conditions at the farm where they are grown, harvest time, and more. It's what my collaborator on this print likes to call "merroir," a term inspired by wine's term, "terroir."

A Collaboration with Julie Qiu

Julie is an international oyster sommelier and founder of the seminal In A Half Shell oyster blog, based in New York City. She's also my partner-in-brine on our super-popular oyster-tasting notebook, 33 Oysters, and 33 Cups of Saké. Mega umami synergy powers, activate!

Barrel-Finished and -Framed

This print is available in a bespoke frame manufactured by yours truly from upcycled whiskey and/or wine barrels. Each one is a bit different, and makes for a great conversation starte. With this option, prints are matted and secured behind an archival, USA-made mat and backerboard and postman-proof UV-resistant acrylic sheet.

Please note that barrel frames cannot be shipped to Australia or New Zealand due to import restrictions on wood products.

Add Your Own Frame

Oysters of North America is an easily-frameable* 11 x 14 inch (28 x 36 cm) print - a super common size. Off-the-shelf frames are available at Target, IKEA, or even better - your friendly neighborhood frame shop! No matter which option you choose, this simple, attractive print is perfect for hanging in beach houses, cottages, cafes, restaurants, resorts, and oyster farms.

Fresh-Pressed in Portland

This open-edition print was printed by hand, with love, on  a gluten-powered, hand-fed 1909 Chandler & Price letterpress using mostly soy-based inks. Each color used requires a separate trip through the press. This print uses two inks: a dark blue and a turquoise blue that matches the cover of 33 Oysters.

American-made French Paper

The poster is printed on 100% recycled (30% PCW), chlorine-free French brand paper, made in Niles, Michigan. If you're as big a paper nerd as you are a cocktail nerd, you'll want to know that it's 125# Muscletone in Starch White Cover Stock. 

* Frame not included, unless you buy the framed one, in which case a frame is included.