Eat Drink Smoke

The "Summer of Habanos" begins with the My Father La Lealtad, a hefty 6x60 cigar delivering balanced notes of cedar, coffee, tobacco, and subtle sweetness. Tony and Fingers also review Costco’s Patriot Eagle Bourbon, debate the greatest Southern foods, question the purpose of warm potato salad, and prepare themselves for Indiana State Fair creations involving honey buns, melted butter, and absolutely no restraint.

Plus, Walm...

Happy Independence Day from Eat Drink Smoke — and welcome to our 400th episode!

America turns 250, Eat Drink Smoke hits 400, and Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy celebrate with fried apple pie, patriotic cigars, cold beer, and a whole lot of fast-food nostalgia.

The show kicks off with the triumphant return of the deep-fried McDonald’s Hot Apple Pie. Is it smaller than it used to be? Absolutely. Is it basically an apple p...

America’s 250th birthday is coming, and Eat Drink Smoke is getting ready the only way it knows how — with hot dogs, cigars, bourbon and a little bit of chaos.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy preview the perfect Independence Day setup with Costco hot dogs, the great charcoal vs. propane debate, and whether America can survive another 250 years if people keep putting pets on airplane tray tables.

The featured cigar is the ...

This week, Tony and Fingers review the Micallef White Label Connecticut Robusto and Puncher’s Chance The Undisputed Single Barrel Bourbon.

The cigar is a 5x52 Robusto featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and the guys discuss why Connecticut cigars have come a long way in recent years. Once thought of as mild morning smokes without much depth, today’s Connecticut cigars are bringing real flavor — and this Mi...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial and Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The New World Puro Especial brings plenty of Nicaraguan character, with notes of coffee, wood, creaminess, dried fruit, and a medium-plus profile that may play bigger than advertised. At around $9 a stick, is it humidor-worthy?

The bourbon review features Blade and Bow, a 91-proof str...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the Stoic Equanimity Justice, a hefty 6x52 cigar with an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, Dominican Criollo 98 binder, and a flavor profile that brings spice, cedar, earth, richness, and a truly ridiculous amount of heft. It is the kind of cigar that makes you wonder whether you should smoke it or use it to break out of a locked car.

The drink this week is Jacob’s Pardon Small ...

Tony and Fingers ask the important question: Is your HOA out of control? Fingers has a neighborhood watchdog, a grabber, and apparently a man monitoring street parking like it’s a federal investigation.

This week, the guys review the Cuban Seed Cigar Company Cohiba Grand Pyramid and the Cody Road Single Barrel Rye.

The cigar is a massive 6.5 x 54 pyramid with a Corojo Habano wrapper and a wood-forward profile, but construct...

On this version of the Happy Hour, Tony and Fingers review the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Decanter Bourbon, a gorgeous bottle with a proof that comes in just under 110 - though you would never know it from the nose.

The guys get oak, caramel, vanilla, baking spice, a mystery fruit note they can’t quite pin down, and what Tony describes as a rich custard-like finish. At around $60, both agree this one is absolutely in the l...

Tony and Fingers light up the My Father La Gran Oferta Lancero, a 7.5 x 38 smoke with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Cuban-seed binder, and Nicaraguan filler.

The cigar opens with leather, pepper, spice, and a debate over whether the finish is wood or bitter espresso. Because obviously, this is where civilization hangs in the balance.

Also on the Happy Hour: Tony talks about his early-morning Indy 500 tradition, Fingers considers ...

Tony and Fingers review the My Father La Gran Oferta Lancero and the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Decanter Bourbon.

The cigar brings early pepper, leather, wood, and a mellowing medium profile that makes a strong case for the humidor. The bourbon turns out to be a hidden gem, with oak, vanilla, fruit, a rich mouthfeel, and a shockingly smooth finish for nearly 110 proof.

Also this week: Memorial Day grilling, Indy 500 cigar tradi...

Tony and Fingers pour Mayor Pingree Small Batch Red Label Bourbon from Valentine Distilling in Ferndale, Michigan — a 94-proof bourbon that blends Valentine’s triple pot-distilled bourbon with traditional column-distilled bourbon casks from Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

They get notes of vanilla, oak, honey, bread, pepper, citrus, and a little orchard fruit — then find that a cube or a little water brings the bourbon to...

Tony and Fingers light up The K by Karen Berger Connecticut Toro, a soft box-pressed 6 x 52 Connecticut with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Nicaraguan core, silky presentation, light spice, creaminess, cedar, and a little sweetness.

They talk about why Connecticut cigars deserve more respect, when this cigar fits best, and whether it earns a spot in the humidor at around $12.

Also on this Happy Hour: the proper way to reheat leftover piz...

This week, Tony and Fingers review the K by Karen Berger Connecticut Toro, a silky Ecuadorian Connecticut with Nicaraguan binder and filler.

Connecticut cigars get dismissed too easily, and this one makes the case for why that is a mistake. The Karen Berger Connecticut brings creaminess, cedar, a touch of white pepper, some sweetness, and an easygoing profile that works in the morning, at night, with coffee, or whenever you feel l...

The cigar review: Kristoff Veinte Twentieth Anniversary.
The drink review: Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon.

Topics this week include:

Bartenders reveal the 10 drinks you should NEVER order in a crowded bar.
Gen Zers aren’t having children because of this scary reason.
Aldi just announced a major change to grocery prices.
M&M's released a new flavor.
Do you miss going to the video store?

All that and...

Tony and Fingers' cigar review: Cohiba Serie M Reserva Roja.
Their drink review: Crown Royal Blackberry Whisky Lemonade.

Topics this week include:
60 practical Father’s Day gifts your dad will actually use.
29 things literally every single millennial had in their parents' house growing up in the '90s.
High-paying remote work jobs are fading fast.
Have Americans forgotten their manners?

All that, and much...

The cigar review: La Gloria Cubana Spirit of the Lady.
The drink review: Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Rye.

Topics this week include:
15 healthy light beers to drink this summer - Bonus review of Blue Moon Light.
There is still time to enjoy some of the best Memorial Day restaurant deals of 2024.
50 great Memorial Day recipes for your holiday cookout.
Amazon plans to give Alexa an AI overhaul — and ...

Tony and Fingers' cigar review: Red Anchor Admiral.
Their drink review: Barrell Vantage.

Topics this week include:

Are Americans losing their taste for Starbucks?
A Tinder survey says men and women misinterpret what they want from dating apps.
Uber launches bus shuttle service, expands Costco tie-up to woo price-conscious users.
Fingers has a shuttle story.
How should you order a steak?

All that, and much mor...

The cigar review: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Masterpiece.
The drink review: Sullivan's Black Marble Stout.

Topics this week include:
Fingers bought a new "grill."
How much have fast-food prices gone up since 2020?
A North Carolina cafe customer is nailed by $2,000 in charges after workers posted her credit card online.
Dave & Buster’s will soon allow customers to bet on arcade games.
The guys answer...

Tony and Fingers' cigar review: The Asylum Insanity Later.
Their drink review: Silver Grove Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Topics this week include:
What does the latest news about McDonald's say about the US economy?
If you’re not feeling happy in life, say goodbye to these daily habits.
Ploys supermarkets use to trick you into spending more.
A bedtime habit that may be ruining your relationship.

All that, a...