Cigar People Archives - Page 4 of 4

Interview: Dean Parsons, Founder of Epic Cigars

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Staff

For over a decade, Dean Parsons has been making Epic Cigars. Originally from Canada, he left work in law enforcement to learn everything there was to know about the cigar business. Dean talks with Cigar Life Guy about his journey into the cigar world, the Canadian cigar scene, and the “epic” moments that make cigar life unique.

Dean Parsons’ First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Dean Parsons: One of my first memorable cigar experiences was in early 1999. I was with some friends after a day-long ride on our Harley-Davidsons. We were in my friend’s garage, a CEO for BMO Nesbitt Burns and a world traveler. I was still in law enforcement then. His garage was an actual man cave with a loft, a vintage Triumph motorcycle, several old-school barber chairs, and artwork from his international travels. He went into his humidor and took out a box of Cuban Cohibas and a bottle of Balvenie. It was the first time I had paired cigars and scotch, and it was a surreal experience. After this, I began enjoying cigars on a weekly and monthly basis.

The Canadian Cigar Scene

Cigar Life Guy: You are originally from Canada. What is the cigar scene like there, and how does it compare to other places you’ve been?

Dean Parsons: The cigar scene in Canada is very prominent. Twenty years ago, it was mostly Cuban cigars. Today there are many more “new world cigars”- Dominican and Nicaraguan brands. Epic Cigars have been distributed in Canada since 2015. The import taxes are very high, and the average price for a premium cigar in Canada is 16-CAD 20. There are very few retail lounges but many retailers. The smoking laws in Canada are much stricter. Canadians have the same passion as most cigar aficionados worldwide. They must be more creative in finding smoking places, especially during winter. Several private member lounges around the country provide indoor smoking year-round.

From Law Enforcement to Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You have ten years of experience in law enforcement. The cigar business is a change of pace. Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry.

Dean Parsons: I left Canada in 2005 after ten years in law enforcement. I moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands to work with a real estate development group. Finding premium cigars in Turks and Caicos was challenging, so I started traveling to the Dominican Republic to buy cigars as closing gifts for my clients. I would go a couple of times a year, and I just started meeting a lot of small factories, boutique manufacturers, and just people in the industry who were open to helping me learn about the business. I learned about tobacco, fermentation, and the process of blending cigars.

Soon after, I found a small factory to work with. I launched my first brand called “Turks Select Cigars,” a premium cigar branded specifically for the Turks and Caicos Islands. This brand was only available between 2006-2010 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 2009 the real estate market crash hit the Turks and Caicos Islands hard. I was fortunate to land a new job with a real estate development company in the Dominican Republic.

The move to the Dominican Republic gave me more access to the country’s best boutique factories allowing me to spend more time learning about cigars from some of the industry’s most renowned experts. In 2010, I officially launched Epic Cigars. At the time, the company came out with two premium offerings: the Epic Maduro and the Epic Corojo. Both cigars were received well and remain in the Epic Cigars line of products today. I lived in the Dominican Republic for nine years and recently relocated to South Florida.

Dean Parsons and The Epic Line

Cigar Life Guy: Epic is a great name. When people smoke your cigars, what do you want them to associate with your brand?

Dean Parsons: I was fortunate to secure the Epic name and trademark when I launched the brand. When people smoke Epic, I’d like them to associate sharing #epicmoments with friends and celebrating the Epic lifestyle, whether the birth of a child or a weekend bachelor party in Las Vegas. We’ve always used the social media hashtags #liveepic #smokeepic #epicmoments #epiclifestyle.

Cigar Life Guy: That was how Nat Cicco acquired Epic. How has that partnership been, and what has it allowed you to do with the brand that you couldn’t do before?

Dean Parsons: The partnership with Nat Cicco/Zander Greg Distributors has been great. Very little has changed for me. I’m still the Founder of Epic Cigars and very much hands-on regarding all aspects of the business. We’ve drastically increased our annual production, events, travel, and marketing. We’ve also added more international retailers and distributors.

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Epic Cigars?

Dean Parsons: We continue growing our existing brands and introducing new product lines. We are also redesigning our core line packaging. This year we are also building a national sales and brokerage team.

Follow Dean on Instagram and check out the latest from Epic Cigars here.

Photo credit: Dean Parsons

Interview: Micky Pegg on All Saints Cigars

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Staff

When it comes to the cigar industry, Micky Pegg has done it all. After a brief hiatus, he launched his line in 2019. Pegg continues growing the All Saints Cigars brand with plans on expanding to the West Coast. Pegg talks with Cigar Life Guy about lounge culture, smoking with Kid Rock, and how the business evolved since he made cigar runs for senators.

Micky Pegg’s First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Micky Pegg: One of my first memories was working for a senator on Capitol Hill. Back then, they didn’t have to pay interns. They would have you run errands, and when you ran errands, you got to keep the change because there weren’t Ubers. It was only taxis.

One senator sent me to Georgetown Cigars to fetch and bring cigars back. They liked a particular cigar, Juan Clemente; I don’t even know if they make them anymore. The cool thing was you got to keep the change because you had to jump in the cab, go to Georgetown, and come back. He always got an extra cigar, and I got to sit with the senator. It was like talking with the President of the United States at a pub- on speaker phone. It was pretty cool. So Juan Clemente and fetching cigars for a senator was my first experience. Then I started buying some of my cigars, and Georgetown Tobacco gave me a part-time job, which was awesome.

Micky Pegg: Life on Capitol Hill

Cigar Life Guy: You worked on Capitol Hill in college and made regular cigar runs to Georgetown Tobacco. You shared a cigar in the senator’s room. Who was the exciting person you smoked with?

Micky Pegg: Jeez, I’ve smoked with a lot of people. Interesting? I’ve been fortunate. Rock stars. Business moguls. The most interesting was Kid Rock. He has strong business acumen. It was in my old days at CAO. It was cool how much he loved cigars and how in tune he was with the business aspects of it.

And Hank Williams Jr. Those two guys know each other. And it’s the same thing. Hank Williams is like a big brother to Kid Rock. There were plenty of others, but those two because they were about cigar culture, the business side, and their smartness.

Launching a Cigar Line

Cigar Life Guy: You have said you enjoyed visiting retail shops as a sales rep. What makes a retail shop stand out?

Micky Pegg: I started working in a retail shop, then as a rep, and then as VP of sales at CAO. Now I own a company. I always loved it. I always say, “If you’ve only been to one retail shop, you’ve only been to one retail shop.” It’s a different culture, even for guys who own many shops under the same name. Every shop has its personality. I see the different personalities, talking to the people, enjoying a cigar, and creating ways to grow the business. Plus, all the banter. We all like the same things.

Cigar Life Guy: You have worked in various capacities for some premier cigar lines. What is different about launching your line?

Micky Pegg: A lot more work. A lot more on the table. You’re starting something and building a foundation. It’s completely different than taking something with a foundation and growing it (like I did before in the cigar world and the mutual fund world, where I was for a bit). So many critical little details need to get done, from keeping up with the tax situations in all the different states to ordering the inventory. All the other companies have specific people that did all these different practical things. Now it’s me and Frank Layo, my partner. He’s behind the scenes, and I’m more the “front of the house.” There’s a lot.

You’re always moving and working on things. That’s one of the reasons I keep going down to the factories as much as I do. You must stay on top of it to keep getting what we promise to deliver—everything from the packaging to the most important part, the cigar.

Micky Pegg on Cigar Lounge Culture

Cigar Life Guy: You have done it all in the cigar industry and have been in it on and off for a long time. How has the premium tobacco business evolved since you were in Washington?

Micky Pegg: The biggest thing is the lounge culture that has evolved with it. When I got in, most cigar shops were cigars, cash, and carry. Smoke shops were either cigar stores that sold pipes or pipe stores that sold cigars. And they were cash and carry. Very few people had lounges. In the last ten to twelve years, lounge culture has taken over.

And there are all different types of lounges. There are BYOB lounges. There are “on-premise” lounges, meaning they sell booze on-premise. Sometimes it’s just beer and wine. Sometimes it’s full service.

Then you have these smoking lounges that have a small humidor as an accent to the place. Then you have places that have larger humidors for full service. I’m trying to say that there are all different types of lounges, but everybody has a lounge component in their stores. That’s why you see so much on lounge etiquette. But it’s relatively new in the premium market. The lounge culture is relatively new if you go back to the boom chapter starting in the late 80s and early 90s. There were lounges out there, don’t get me wrong, but they were only here and there.

When I was in retail, if a guy had a lounge, the manufacturer or brand owner would not sell directly to that lounge. Instead, they had to buy it through a retailer, which would give them ten to fifteen percent off. So they had to rely on their liquor sales. But now that’s completely changed.

Growing the All Saints Cigars Line

Cigar Life Guy: What can we expect from All Saints Cigars in the future?

Micky Pegg: Growth! We’re working on it every day. Right now, I’m in the middle of a 25-day tour. We’re onboarding three new sales guys: one for Arizona, one for Southern California, and one for the DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) of Texas.

This year is our third year in the market, but the first year was COVID. So we had two years with an asterisk. The first year we had 40 accounts, and now we have over 300.

We have four lines on the market and need people to smoke our cigars. Since the media has done an excellent job of giving us exposure, it’s time to capture that. We have had a good online presence, though. In fact, we spent the last couple of years on the East Coast and are now expanding to the West Coast.

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Micky Pegg: This started with Frank Layo and me. We’re excited about what we’re doing. We are all in. I don’t have a Plan B. I put everything into this business, and we will make it work. We’re very proud of our relationship with Rocky Patel because we use his boutique cigar factory, Tavicusa. Working down there (Esteli, Nicaragua) with guys like Amilcar and Gerber, who run the factory, is a pleasure. We love the relationship we have with those guys.

Follow Micky on Instagram and check out the latest from All Saints Cigars here.

Photo credit: All Saints Cigars

Behind the Smoke: The Karen Berger Cigar Legacy

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Staff

Most success stories don’t begin as humbly as that of Karen Berger. Beginning her cigar journey as a roller when she was 18 taught her every aspect of the cigar industry. She would go on to become the Tobacco Businesswoman of the Year. Building on her husband’s legacy, Don Kiki, she continues developing new blends and giving women a voice in the ever-evolving cigar industry.

Karen Berger: Her First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us about your first premium cigar experience.

Karen Berger: My first premium cigar was a Don Kiki Cigar. It was a cigar that Kiki made in the factory. I smoked it, and he told me, “This is what a cigar is supposed to taste like. When it doesn’t taste like this? You get rid of it and destroy it because it’s nothing we want coming out of our factory.” It was a very poignant moment for me.

Karen Berger: The Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: You started working in a cigar factory as a roller when you were 18; what was that experience like, and what was the most important thing you took from it?

Karen: I didn’t have enough money to finish my degree in Business Administration in Nicaragua, so I decided to go into a factory and get a roller job. Rolling cigars, I learned every aspect of the industry. Now I am currently the CEO from the ground up. So number one, the dexterity in my fingers is unbelievable.

My ability to navigate around a cigar and tobacco all stems from that experience of being a roller. I know every dimension of the industry.

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite aspect of the cigar business?

Karen: Without a doubt, when people say, “I love your cigar!” I love being able to say, “Thank you so much. I appreciate your support.” The enjoyment of someone holding our cigars in their hand, smoking it, is my number one thing in the business.

Cigar Life Guy: What is the cigar industry’s biggest challenge today?

Karen: The biggest challenge facing the cigar industry today is, of course, regulations at the state, federal, and international levels. Navigating our way through laws, licenses, taxes, and regulations. That’s the biggest challenge today.

Women and the Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: Congratulations on being named Tobacco Businesswoman of the Year. Women in the cigar industry are often overlooked. What advice would you give to women entering the industry and women who smoke cigars?

Karen: I am thankful to win this award for all the women in the cigar industry that do not have a voice. Women are found all throughout the cigar industry. Women sort tobacco and roll cigars. There are already so many women in the business who don’t have a voice, so winning this award is me speaking for all the women in the industry.

As for women who smoke, smoke what you like! Don’t feel ashamed of smoking a full-bodied, flavored cigar or this or that. Don’t worry about what other people think.

Karen Berger: The Kiki Legacy and Beyond

Cigar Life Guy: You have worked hard to maintain your husband’s legacy; what do you want people to know about Kiki and his cigar lines?

Karen: Kiki was the most generous man in the cigar industry. He gave so much of himself. And he always put others before himself. That’s why we had slower growth in our company when other companies had quicker growth. He was more focused on helping others than growing his own line.

Cigar Life Guy: You continue to add different blends. What’s next for the Karen Berger and Don Kiki cigar lines?

Karen: Our two new cigars are coming out in July at the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show. Neither one has the name K by Karen Berger or Don Kiki. Our cigars in the future will be under the umbrella called Karen Berger Cigars.

They will no longer have the moniker Don Kiki or K by Karen Berger and then a subset of something like Gold, Platinum, or Connecticut. Instead, we’ll name these new cigars in and of themselves.

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Karen: I want everyone to know I am the hardest-working woman in the business, and I want everyone to have an opportunity to try my cigars. If your tobacconist doesn’t have them, please ask for them.

Follow Karen on Instagram and check out the latest from Karen Berger Cigars here.

Photo credit: Karen Berger Cigars

Interview: Cigar Mike Bennett

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Staff

You don’t get a nickname like “Cigar Mike” by being a novice. As a cigar consultant, event coordinator, and aficionado of all things cigars, Mike Bennett has been an ambassador for the cigar life for 26 years. With nearly 1000 events under his belt, his legend is building. Bennett lives to his name and talks about smoking as an experience, looking for maniacs in the industry, and creating all the elements of a successful cigar event.

Cigar Mike Bennett’s First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Cigar Mike Bennett: I was at a buddy’s place; it was springtime. There were four of us. It was a double-date situation. We were hanging out, and my first premium cigar was a Don Tomas. So Don Tomas was my first foray into smoking premiums and just smoking, period.

I think I enjoyed the experience maybe a little bit more than I enjoyed smoking the cigar. It just continued from there. I started smoking occasionally. Then I found more occasions to smoke, and then bam, I smoke every day.

Cigar Mike Bennett: The Nickname

Cigar Life Guy: A straightforward and authoritative nickname like “Cigar Mike” must be well-earned. So how did you get it?

Cigar Mike Bennett: Well, I smoke a lot. That’s one way. The other way is I do a lot of cigar events. At one point, I was doing 110 events a year just working inside the industry.

But I actually got the name from a buddy of mine, Cedric Ward. I was hanging out at a cigar spot and introducing myself, and Cedric said: “Man, that’s Cigar Mike; you want to know something about cigars, ask him.” So we joked it off. And a week or so later, we were in a completely different spot with another set of people, and I was talking, and guys were like, “Oh, that’s Cigar Mike.” From there, it took on a life of its own. So someone heard it in the first spot, and then it took on a life of its own.

The trouble is living up to it (laughs). But I’m pretty good at that.

Mike Bennett: Cigar Ambassador

Cigar Life Guy: You are an ambassador for the cigar life. What do people who don’t smoke cigars not understand about cigars and the cigar lifestyle?

Cigar Mike Bennett: That’s an excellent question. The first thing is the misconception that it’s an old man thing. That you have to be 50 to smoke a cigar. I’m 51, and I’ve been smoking for 26 years. I started when I was 25, and it was a peculiar space because 25-year-olds were looking at me like, “What the hell are you doing?” And 45-year-olds were looking at me like, “What the hell are you doing?” (laughs).

I realized it was a microcosmic environment that people not in this world don’t completely understand. Once in the cigar world, it was like, ok, I’m a kid, and I’d get, “Look at the young fellow.” But there was a lot of information that was given. Guys asking, “Have you ever had this?” Or “Do you want to try this?”

We’re a welcoming world once you decide to be a part of it. But, unlike other worlds, we don’t solicit and encourage. Instead, we don’t go out and say, “Hey, Smoke Cigars. You’ll have a great life as we do.”

No. If you want to smoke cigars, then sit the hell down and light one up and let’s talk about it. That’s a big thing. We don’t care if you don’t understand; it’s if you want to understand.

Finding the “Maniacs”

Cigar Life Guy: You work with many new and up-and-coming brands. What do you look for in a brand to work with? And what advice would you give to someone considering launching a new business in the cigar space?

Cigar Mike Bennett: I look for maniacs. You’ve got to be a maniac to be in this space. You must be a function of pure passion and really want to be here. That’s what I am looking for. I ask myself, is this guy or young lady really committed? They’re really committed to doing this because you’re not gonna make a lot of money upfront.

You don’t jump into this business and become Rocky Patel or Pete Johnson. An overnight sensation in the cigar business takes about five years! That’s how long it takes for people to know who you are. So I look for people who really want to put in the work. I didn’t have a car when I was doing 110 events a year. Instead, I was catching the bus to my events, cabs, or Uber. If you’re unwilling to put in that, then it’s not much of a conversation. The fly by night: “I’m gonna be in the cigar business?” I wish you luck, but there’s really nothing I can do.

The Hustle

Cigar Life Guy: You have lived the cigar life for over 25 years, and your hustle is legendary. How many events do you think you’ve done? And how has it changed over the years?

Cigar Mike Bennett: I’ve been doing events for fifteen years. If I had to guess, I would say over 500, less than 1000. I would do some stuff every week — weekly and monthly events and everything in between. Events change, I don’t want to say dramatically. The numbers have grown.

I make it a point not to change my business model because I always want to be welcoming to somebody new to smoking but still endear the event to everyday smokers. These guys have been smoking for three, 10, and 15 years. So I want to be that common ground where everybody can exist and still get information. I call it cigar entertainment. I want you to be educated and entertained.

You don’t need someone saying, “This is this” or “That is that.” Nobody wants to sit in a classroom, and very few people want to take that class(laughs). But it speaks a little better if you’re having fun and you pick up on this information. That way, it’s manageable. So you come here, and it’s not, “I’m gonna get all this information.” If you want to sit and smoke a cigar. So be it. You give people fun facts, and they can do more research on that if they wish.

It’s the same thing with spirits. I like merging the cigar and spirits world. Because they do go together. Whiskeys and cigars. Cocktails and cigars. I try to bring in different elements. I’m actually doing an event with the owners of Greenwood Whiskey later today. They’re gonna be hanging out with me at a cigar lounge, and we’ll be sampling the whiskey with a cigar. Which is great — to have a whiskey you’ve never tried before and maybe a cigar you’ve never tried before. And the experience ties it all together.

The fun of it is in the journey. When people decide they want to be a part of the cigar life. You’re around people who are typically highly educated from all walks of life. A trash collector is sitting next to a CEO; they’re best friends. This is one of the sole environments where that happens daily. But, hey, we’re all here to smoke cigars. I don’t care what kind of watch you have. And I don’t care what type of cigar you smoke.

Fellowship means a lot because people leave their daily grind and want to kick back, spend ten or fifteen dollars on a cigar, and light it up. You want to enjoy that while avoiding talking about work. Be a regular person in a chair enjoying a cigar. You want to be around people you enjoy because if not, you can go home and smoke in your garage.

Endearing Customers to a City

Cigar Life Guy: Over the last few years, there has been an influx of new cigar events with varying degrees of success. What are some of these new entrants or promoters doing well? What are they missing or getting wrong?

Cigar Mike Bennett: They’re really going above and beyond entertaining their customers — anything from comedy shows, concerts, and events taking place during their cigar week for their city. That’s great. I’m not opposed to it but I don’t want to see River Dancing (laughs). I’ve watched it on YouTube occasionally. It’s interesting, but people are doing things and want to do something to endear people to their city.

I was in Houston, and they had a Scarface concert. What better representation of Houston, Texas, than Scarface? I’ve been on boat rides that were part of events from the National Harbor. Different things attach people to their city. And that’s what I like. So I go to New York for a New York state of mind, and I go to Miami for a Miami state of mind. So I want to do what people who live in that city like to do. Because if they’re enjoying themselves, consequently, I’ll enjoy myself.

I really enjoy being part of a lot of events. For some reason, people like me and trust me to entertain their crowds. And I’m really appreciative of that as well.

Signature Event Expectations

Cigar Life Guy: What should people expect at your signature event, the 2023 Atlanta Cigar Experience?

Cigar Mike Bennett: Honestly? Tomfoolery. Foolishness. A great deal of smoking and copious amounts of beverage consumption. We stuff 17 events in seven days, and foolishly, this year, we added a golf tournament — so 18 events in seven days. I want you to have as much fun as possible in my city. Literally, from noon every day till three in the morning, I got you. There’s something to do. No matter what time that plane lands, there is something to do. I want people to have a good time, enjoy themselves, go home, and return next year.

Follow Cigar Mike on Instagram and check the latest on the Atlanta Cigar Experience.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Interview: Drunk Chicken Cigars Desiree Sylver

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Staff

It’s tough to forget a name like Drunk Chicken Cigars. Entrepreneur Desiree Sylver founded the line in 2019 and has been “making every cigar with love” ever since. If there’s one thing a long-time cigar enthusiast like Desiree isn’t, it’s all business all the time. She talks about life in the cigar industry, knowing how to laugh, and building a solid organizational foundation as the key to success. But would she marry a cigar? Maybe.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us about your first premium cigar experience.

Desiree Sylver: I’ve been smoking cigars for twenty years, but the first time I fell in love with a cigar and recognized “this is perfect” was about seven or eight years ago when I smoked a Padron. I took the band off and put it on my finger and thought, “I could marry you!” (laughs) I was at home at the time. I woke up to cigars at that moment, but I had been smoking them for ten-plus years before that.

The Business of Friends

Cigar Life Guy: You have a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership. How has that been an asset in the cigar industry?

Desiree Sylver: The cigar industry is just like any industry in terms of business. I apply my business acumen and leadership to Drunk Chicken Cigars. I don’t look at it like the cigar industry is different. Although there are some differences. The culture is different– the people are friendlier. But the same business principles apply.

Women, Cigars, and Knowing How to Laugh

Cigar Life Guy: The cigar industry has become more welcoming to women. What advice would you offer to women entering the industry and women who smoke cigars?

Desiree Sylver: First, take it slow and ask many questions. In fact, feel free to ask a lot of questions. Pay attention to what you’re smoking and what you like about it. Think about what you are getting from it regarding body and flavor. So the next time you buy a cigar, you can say- it’s too strong, and you need something lighter, or if something is too spicy, you can say, “That’s too spicy. Can I try something else”. You have to be able to ask so you’re able to talk about your next cigar when you go to a lounge. People are really helpful. Reach out to people. Talk to them.

Drunk Chicken Cigars Integrates with Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: The Drunk Chicken is an unmistakable name. So is Mother Clucker! How is having a strong sense of humor an asset as an entrepreneur?

Desiree Sylver: When you get stuck, you can laugh and joke about it. You’re not going to feel defeated. A sense of humor helps build that resilience that you need to continue. Business is hard. I can tell you regularly I want to give up, but then I have to laugh about it. I talk to my friends, and we joke about all kinds of things that hit me over the head as a businessperson in the cigar industry. Having a solid sense of humor is helpful because when the bad times hit, it will help you continue moving forward.

Cigar Life Guy: Drunk Chicken came about when sitting around with friends at your free-range chicken farm. What is it about cigar life that brings people together?

Desiree Sylver: The cigar lifestyle started with a celebration. It was always that thing you brought with you to celebrate. The cigar was the “icing on the cake.” It’s what you go to when you can say, “We just won the Super Bowl – let’s have a cigar. We just won the World Series– let’s have a cigar. We just landed that big business merger- let’s have a cigar, let’s celebrate.”

The celebration brings people together in happy times. So I think the people in the cigar industry took that and started with “happy” and “celebrations.” Then it continues into relaxation and enjoyment. And that’s why I believe people in the cigar industry are so friendly.

It would be best to have a lot of disposable income to continuously go to cigar lounges. You’re going there to escape work and the hustle and bustle. You’re going there to relax, have camaraderie with friends, and celebrate the day or week and your experiences.

The Future of Drunk Chicken Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s Next for Drunk Chicken Cigars?

Desiree Sylver: Well, we’re working on another line right now. I hope to get that out by the PCA (Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in July). We’ve had a lot of back and forth with it- to tweak the blend. And we are also looking into opening a lounge by 2024.

I want to continue to ensure that Drunk Chicken is a stable company. In fact, I always think of it as the three little pigs, and I need a brick house so when the big bad wolf comes, he can’t huff, puff, and blow my house down. Therefore, I’m focusing on my organization’s structure and foundation to ensure that Drunk Chicken is around for the next generation.

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

—: Don’t forget to start your day the Drunk Chicken Cigar way! We have something for everybody. It’s an anytime-of-day cigar. I pride myself on having variety and having something that will fit most people’s palates.

We are 100% premium, hand-rolled, long-leaf filler, and all our cigars are made with love.

Follow Desiree on Instagram and check the latest Drunk Chicken Cigars here.

Photo credit: Drunk Chicken Cigars

Peter Gross Interview: How Gross Builds Bridges One Cigar at a Time

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Staff

Even if you’re new to the cigar lifestyle, you probably already recognize how smoking a premium cigar brings people together. The founders of ATL Cigar Co. set out to embody that spirit. It began with a line of cigars that captures the essence of community in their hometown of Atlanta. Peter Gross, COO of Luciano Cigars and one of the founders of ATL Cigar Co. discusses how he leaped into the cigar industry, Cuban cigars, and the sublime, travel, and how conversation while smoking a fine cigar can create instant and lasting bonds.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Peter Gross: On my 18th birthday, I bought myself a subscription to Cigar Aficionado magazine and a pack of Swisher Sweets, which I smoked alone on my parent’s patio.

Soon, I found the local premium cigar retailers, like McCranie’s in Cornelius, NC, and started smoking Griffin’s and Avo Uvezian cigars, which I liked fine then. Still, I knew I had to get to Havana.

In June ’98, I hitched a ride from Nassau on an old Russian airliner and a handful of other lawbreakers. When I landed, I made my way straight to the Hotel Nacional.

I bought a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas and a single Romeo y Julieta Churchill, which I enjoyed on the hotel’s veranda with a Cuba Libre. It remains one of the most sublime experiences of my life.

I smoked Cubans mainly for the next 20 years, including a fair amount of time living abroad — UK, Ghana, and Kenya. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stomach Dominican puros — the bitterness and aftertaste were a different product category — and I still can’t.

Then in 2017, on another trip to Havana, I was shocked to learn about the growth of Nicaraguan cigars, which hadn’t registered to me then.

I returned to the US and went to Puff’ N’ Stuff in Tucker, GA, where Ronnie introduced me to Aganorsa Leaf and AJ Fernandez products; it was like smoking for the first time again.

Nicaraguan tobacco had more flavor than most Cuban cigars by the mid-2010s. However, they finished clean in the classic Cuban way — which most Dominican products still can’t provide.

A Community of Cigar Smokers

Cigar Life Guy: You, Leroy, and Janelle met at a neighborhood hotdog stand. What about cigar culture brings people from all walks of life together?

Peter Gross: Leroy, Janelle, and I were neighbors in SW Atlanta for six years in the mid-2000s, and yeah — we started a hotdog stand together as a way to bring the neighborhood together and to provide an alternative on Sunday nights to the trap house on our street.

Those hotdog stand sessions would always end with a cigar, where we tried to figure out the “un-figure-out-able:” how to fix our neighborhood and improve ourselves.

The cigar gave space for intimacy. If you’re with someone for 90 minutes, it’s amazing how deep you can get and how reflective a cigar helps you to become. We built a bond by smoking those cigars. This bond was stronger than the differences in our backgrounds, perspectives, voting decisions, and even our life philosophies.

We still don’t agree on everything, but our conflict is creative. It’s made us all better people and professionals.

When we launched ATL Cigar Co in 2021, we combined all of our skills — Leroy’s as a community builder and philosopher, Janelle’s as a maker and marketer, and mine as a start-up operator — and we made something that people responded to. We wanted to export our friendship’s complex but genuine bond through a cigar brand, and it’s been amazing to see the response.

Cigars Around the World

Cigar Life Guy: You have lived and traveled all over the world. What is one of your most memorable cigar experiences abroad?

Peter Gross: When Leroy and I visited Luciano Meirelles in Esteli in 2021, only a few months after launching our company, we were blown away by Luciano’s passion for tobacco and the deep connection we felt with him.

All week he blended new cigars for us from scratch. He used whatever tobacco he had on hand at the restaurant, his house, or the factory. And we tasted flavors we’d never experienced. One of those blends became the Wise Blood, a cigar we’re proud to launch through our retail network in April 2023. Still, he produced so many great blends in front of us that week that it’s tough to put the experience into words.

Fast forward eighteen months. This partnership with Luciano has taken us into stores on three continents. It has allowed us to be owners of tobacco farms and factories that make some of the world’s best cigars.

It’s all happened so fast, but we know we are in this for the long haul. And we’re excited to keep rolling out new blends and products over the months and years ahead. When you start with well-fermented tobacco from our farms and combine it with the expertise of someone with Luciano’s talents, the results will always be exceptional.

Making the Leap to Full-Time Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: You gave up a good “9 to 5” job at the beginning of 2023. Talk about making that jump into cigars 100% and any advice you’d give someone considering making the same jump.?

Peter Gross: Yeah, I left a job I loved, providing insurance to low and middle-income people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, which I’d done for the past 12 years or so. It was a giant leap. Yet, I knew that the strength of the Luciano brand, network, and production capabilities would be the “Next Big Thing” in the industry. And I wanted to be a part of it.

I waited a year to jump while I built up a cushion to enable me to move. So, I recommend staying the same amount of time or longer for anyone thinking about it. And make sure you have some cash in the bank.

At the same time, I see many people not jumping when they should. It’s a catch-22 to leave something safe and venture into the unknown, and I get it. But you have to take calculated risks, make the numbers work, and make a bet on yourself.

Taking a risk may have downsides for your bank account, but always taking the safe road has downsides for your soul.

Cigar Life Guy: What has been the most pleasant surprise of working in the cigar industry?

Peter Gross: The industry is a family; I’m new in the industry, and I don’t deserve to be where I am when compared to many other people who’ve been working for decades.

As Chief Operating Officer for Luciano Cigars, which makes and distributes ATL Cigar Co as part of its family of brands, I’m so honored with the welcome I have received from longtime stalwarts in the industry. It’s been amazing to look at these men and women whom I have looked up to as my heroes and now call them friends.

Branding Hometown Atlanta

Cigar Life Guy: You are from Atlanta. How does the ATL line embody the city and your brand’s message of bringing people together?

Peter Gross: ATL Cigar Co is trying to bridge gaps that have long existed in our city, between north and south, Black and white, liberal and conservative.

We started by bridging those gaps in our own company to prove that it can be done. We’re working every day, cigar by cigar, to encourage the city to do the same. But, at the same time, we wanted to embody in our brand those things that have made Atlanta what it is — hustle with soul, business, and purpose together.

We are honoring the city’s civil rights leaders, celebrities, and novelists from middle Georgia. Our goal is to find the thread that unites them.

Atlanta makes you feel something, even if you can’t put your finger on it. It’s energy, it’s belief, it’s pride. It’s the history we honor on Auburn Ave and the future created in Tyler Perry Studios.

The city is also agony and ecstasy as an Atlanta sports fan. It’s the vibe on the Beltline on a spring day. It’s Bankhead and Buckhead. Atlanta gives us a fantastic palette from which to choose as we build this company.

Keep up with Peter and ATL Cigar Co. on Instagram and learn more about ATL Cigar Co. here.

Photo credit: ATL Cigar Co.