Happy Hour continues at Big Hoffa’s Barbecue in Westfield, Indiana, and things only get louder, looser, and more opinionated.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy are still on location, still surrounded by barbecue, and still working their way through Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond, this time with a full room behind them and brisket disappearing by the pan. Joined again by Madison Tragesser from Old Forester, the conversation shifts from tasting notes to bigger questions—history, hype, and what actually matters when people buy bourbon.

They dig into:

• why Old Forester is a brand everyone knows… and some people still skip

• how “heritage” competes with Instagram marketing

• whether high proof is overrated (and who that opinion offends immediately)

• how suggestion and groupthink creep into bourbon reviews

• and why some tasting notes deserve a little side-eye

From there, Happy Hour does what it does best—wanders.

The brisket conversation turns serious with Adam Hoffman, owner of Big Hoffa’s, breaking down:

• what makes Midwestern barbecue different

• why trimming matters more than people think

• how smoke, heat, and fat actually work together

• and what it takes to turn out 50–60 briskets a day without losing consistency

Then the episode swerves again—into NFL chaos, coaching patience (or lack of it), and finally a casino story that starts with a quiet 7 a.m. gambling floor, briefly becomes profitable, and ends with a sentence no human should ever overhear before breakfast.

There is bourbon.
There is brisket.
There are opinions.
And there are two hot dogs that were, allegedly, worm-free.

Happy Hour, Part 2 from Big Hoffa’s.

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Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy head out of the studio and straight into Happy Hour at Big Hoffa’s Barbecue in Westfield, Indiana, for an Old Forester night that quickly turns into a master class in bottled-in-bond bourbon, brisket philosophy, and ketchup-related outrage.

With cigars off the table, the focus stays on Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond (100 proof) from the Whiskey Row series. Fingers breaks down what he’s getting on the nose and palate—pepper, dark fruit, oak, and a touch of cinnamon—while Tony debates where the warmth actually lands, ultimately confirming it’s not the chest… it’s the tum-tum.

The conversation stays loose and local as they talk:

• what “bottled-in-bond” really means

• whether $50 is fair in this economy

• why Old Forester is a brand you don’t skip

• and why trying to describe floral notes can go sideways fast

From there, Happy Hour does what Happy Hour does best—veers wildly:

• the Costco hot dog as a life-changing experience

• Heinz’s new French fry “dipper box” and why it may be the dumbest innovation of all time

• ketchup loyalty lines being drawn in Indiana

• and the proper (and improper) way to eat fries while driving

It all happens live, loud, and surrounded by bourbon, barbecue, and a room full of people who absolutely made the right decision coming out that night.

Eat. Drink. Smoke.
Happy Hour style.
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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

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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

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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.

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In this Best of 2025 episode of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy reveal their Top Cigars of the Year (2025)—and they do it their way: they wait until the full year is finished before ranking anything.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy also pair the cigar conversation with Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (90.4 proof), breaking down the bourbon’s flavor profile and making the case for why it belongs in a liquor cabinet year-round.

The episode features two separate top-three lists with zero overlap, plus plenty of signature Eat Drink Smoke banter, food-world news, and culture commentary.

Featured in this episode:

• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked tasting notes, including caramel, dark chocolate, dried fruit, and a crème brûlée debate

• Tony Katz’s Top 3 Cigars of 2025

  • HVC Hot Cake “Fresh Out of the Oven” (Connecticut Broadleaf)

  • El Rey del Mundo “Appointment” (high-value standout)

  • Ferio Tego Timeless TAA Exclusive 2024 (Tony’s cigar of the year)

• Fingers Malloy’s Top 3 Cigars of 2025

  • Rocky Patel Thirtieth Anniversary (Mexican San Andrés wrapper, box-pressed premium)

  • La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet Lancero (wrapper-forward, high flavor ratio)

  • Micallef Red Toro (value pick with San Andrés Habano wrapper and Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder, Fingers cigar of the year)

Also covered:

• A debate over claims that Americans are “falling out of love with pizza”

• Chain restaurant and fast-food shifts, including a spirited argument over curly fries

• Cable TV ratings drops, cord-cutting, and how media consumption has changed

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

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It’s 2026, and we’re finishing what we started: Bourbons of the Year (even when they’re not all bourbons… because of course they aren’t).

In Part 2, Tony Katz reveals his Top 3 from everything we reviewed this year — bourbon, rye, rum, Irish whiskey, whatever. We also keep smoking the Oliva Master Blends 3 and get into the important questions:

• Why five-pack cigar packaging looks like it was designed by a committee of raccoons

• Why “does it work neat?” is the only real test

• And why your retirement account may be quietly setting you up for a penalty

Tony’s Top 3 (and yes, it gets weird):

• #3: Espy House “The George” 1794 Bourbon — $60.99

• #2: Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey (110 proof) — $44.99

• #1: Bacoo 12-Year Rum — $35.99

Plus: what’s coming in 2026 — Cigars of the Year next week, more food, more tequila, and maybe finally Let’s Go Grill and the cookbook.

Get the show wherever you get podcasts, and watch on YouTube: Eat, Drink, Smoke.

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New year. Same rules: we don’t do a Top 10. We barely do a Top 5.
We do a Top 3 because we’re grown and tired.

In Part 1 of our “Bourbons of the Year” special, Fingers Malloy lays out his list — built on one sacred principle: keep it under $50… because we live in a world where “affordability crisis” is a real phrase people say with a straight face.

We’re also smoking an all-time favorite: Oliva Master Blends 3 (Churchill, 7x50) — Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan binder/filler — and breaking down the flavors (with the official Eat Drink Smoke Notebook Method).

Fingers’ Top 3 (Under $50):

• #3: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (Costco) — $27

• #2: 2XO American Oak — $49

• #1: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye — $35

Tony also explains why he’s still mad at Vegas… even though he can’t wait to go back.

Part 2 drops next: Tony’s Top 3.

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