Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy leave the studio and go live on location at Big Hoffa’s Barbecue in Westfield, Indiana for an Old Forester night—because if they’re going to do remote, it should involve bourbon and a smoke-ring.

Since cigars aren’t allowed inside the restaurant, the show focuses on one bourbon: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond (100 proof) from the Whiskey Row series. Fingers pulls pepper, dark fruit, oak, and a hint of cinnamon, while Tony finds the pour bigger than expected and debates where the warmth actually lands—eventually settling on the now-official tasting location: the tum-tum.

They’re joined by Madison Tragesser from the Brown-Forman family (Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s) for a crash course in Old Forester history, the legacy of George Garvin Brown, and why the Whiskey Row series is meant to be a “taste through history.” The conversation also turns to what bourbon drinkers obsess over that may not actually matter—high proof—a take that does not go unchallenged.

From there, it’s all barbecue. Adam Hoffman, owner of Big Hoffa’s Barbecue, breaks down what it takes to produce consistent brisket at scale—flat vs. point, trimming fat so smoke and heat can do their job, slicing against the grain, and how a restaurant turns out 50–60 briskets a day without letting anything subpar hit a plate.

Also in this episode:

• the great Heinz “dipper fry box” debate (and an Indiana ketchup line drawn in the sand)

• a look at NFL coaching shakeups and the patience problem in modern sports

• and Fingers’ early-morning casino trip that ends with the most unsettling sentence ever overheard in public

Eat. Drink. Smoke.
Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.

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It’s Cigars of the Year time — and the guys do it the only way that actually makes sense.

No points.
No rankings spreadsheets.
No pretending they can quantify enjoyment with decimals.

On this Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloyoffer part 2 of their annual Cigars of the Year conversation by laying out the rules, the philosophy, and the reality of how these lists actually get made.

The short version:
They like what they like — and what sticks, sticks.

Along the way:

• Why Eat Drink Smoke waits until the year is fully over before doing year-end lists

• The only real requirement for Cigars of the Year: we had to review it on the show

• Why price, size, wrapper, and hype don’t decide anything by themselves

• A deep pour of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and why it’s an always-in-the-cabinet bottle

• Dessert debates that spiral into crème brûlée, dried fruit, and general confusion

• The claim that America is “falling out of love with pizza”… and why that doesn’t pass the smell test

• Shrinking restaurant chains, rising prices, and what people are actually reacting to

• Cable TV viewership collapsing — not because people stopped watching, but because they stopped watching that way

• And why Happy Hour exists: so the show can wander a little and still land on its feet

More episodes, cigar reviews, and show info are available at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They do it the right way.

No shortcuts.
No calendar cheating.
No pretending December 15th is “close enough.”

On this Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy kick off their Cigars of the Year conversation — after a full year of reviews, arguments, surprises, and more than a few humidor debates.

Along the way:

• Why Eat Drink Smoke isn’t just a bourbon show (and never really was)

• The only real rule for Cigars of the Year — did it move you?

• Why price, size, wrapper, and hype don’t decide the list

• A deep pour of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and why it’s an always-there bottle

• Cream, caramel, dried fruit, crème brûlée… and whether any of us know what dessert we’re actually talking about

• How a $9 cigar nearly stole Cigar of the Year

• Why surprise matters more than pedigree

• Tony’s early reveal of his #3 cigar of the year

• Fingers’ philosophy: value first, enjoyment always

• And a brief, spirited disagreement over whether America could ever fall out of love with pizza

This is the relaxed, wandering version of the show — part cigar talk, part spirits talk, part food world detour — exactly how Happy Hour is supposed to be.

Light something up.
Pour something you like.
They'll take it from there.

More episodes, cigar reviews, and show info are available at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.