It has been a five months since our last Cigar & Whiskey fest. So Bill and I decided it was time to get the gang back together. We really wanted to do a scotch night around Christmas but we just could not make it work. Time was passing and there has been too much COVID and snow falling once per week to wait any longer. The mask mandates were rescinded in our area so it was time to go back to the basics. No scotch but great bourbon like the last two parties.
However, we had a dilemma about the food. As you may remember from my previous posts my wonderful wife Pam cooks all the food and then leaves the house to go to dinner with friends. But she will be gone on a girls weekend getaway the date we chose. We couldn’t change the date for numerous reasons with work schedules. So Bill stepped up to the plate and decided to make the food. He is from Texas and has cooked Mexican Cuisine his entire life. So I knew it would be a great substitute and a great theme night for the food and the drinks.
After many text messages confirming who could be here and who couldn’t the date was decided, the food was decided and we just had to get the right bourbons. Surprisingly enough they fell right into our lap and it was time to solve the World’s problems… Again.
Early Afternoon Preparation Time
I finished work early and had to make it home to make sure the house was acceptable. The humidor was set at the right temperature and humidity. The beer was in the fridge and cold. Bill comes over around 3:30 with the food and the bourbons. He spent the last two days preparing and making the food. We did some finishing touches to the food.
After a few phone calls and text messages about when people were going to show it was all prepped. We just had to put the enchiladas in the oven when it’s time to eat. So it was on to cigar number one. A Romeo Y Juliet 1875 Reserve Real. I received a box of these cigars on my birthday from Uncle Hank. Great Guy! We had a Modelo with the first cigar. Unfortunately we turned on the television and there was Biden talking about Russia. Geez you just cannot get away from this stuff.
Cigar & Whiskey Fest - The Food
Homemade Nachos
That's right. Bill made his own nacho chips! How cool is that. They were great. We made the guacamole at the house. All fresh ingredients and Bill made the Pico De Gallo, Salsa and Tomatillo sauce at home and brought it over. There were only 10 chips at the end of the night!
Refried Beans and Arrechera
This was amazing and there was NONE left at the end of the night. I don't know the recipe and I think it is a family secret. So I didn't ask but it was amazing Skirt steak cooked to Mexican perfection.
Enchiladas
I wished I had a better picture but the others did not come out well. Great mix of chicken and beef enchiladas. Salsa and Tomatillo sauce. Only a few left at the end of the night. It was a great lunch on Sunday right before typing this post. Ha.
Cigar & Whiskey Fest - The Drinks
Rebel 10 Year
This is a very rare find and a great bourbon. People flocked to his one over and over throughout the night. Very smooth and a little e stronger on the proof scale. But you would never know.
Blanton's
This one does not need an introduction. It is just an amazing bourbon and the best one of the night as there was none left in the morning.
Willett
I have never had this bourbon before. I thought it was very smooth and a little sweet compared to the other bourbons mentioned above. I still have some of this and will be enjoying it throughout the upcoming weeks.
The Beers
Great Mexican beers to pair with the amazing Mexican food. From the counts everyone liked the original Modelo more but it was one bottle away from the Modelo Negra.
Let It Begin...
It was around 5 and Jerod showed up. He is always on time for these parties. Bill and I were on the deck and just built a fire enjoying our cigars and Modelo. Not sure if were going to gather outside anyway since the temperature was dropping quickly. As noted above we had the news on and ultimately had to turn it off as we couldn’t watch anything that was going to impact the night so badly. However, there were many discussions about this Russia invasion and I will keep those to the night. But some good takes on the situation and we were all in agreement. Ponder on that.
Next was David and Paul who are the newbies to the party and hopefully will keep coming back for the next ones. Great time and conversation with those guys. Paul had to drive – I think it is in his work contract but I am not for sure though. Next was my good buddy Chris and John. Lots of drinks and discussion about work were done initially. We then hit some politics and at one point we were talking about a centipede with legs like needles and a Scorpion pose and then the arachnid. I will let your minds wonder on that also. DON’T LOOK IT UP!
Dinner Time
The evening progressed to the real food after we ate a ton of nachos and dip. Everyone was amazed that Bill made homemade nachos for the party. But they don’t know Bill like I do. He goes above and beyond for friends and a party.
The nightly conversation moved to an interesting mix of work and non-work stories. At one point I remember there was a story about twins. The moral of that story was that you should know how to tell one twin from the other or you could be in a world of trouble. Of course all will remain nameless and if you want to know then you have to come to the next party – if you get an invite…
It Had To End
After many laughs and some drinks and a great night of fun it had to come to an end. We didn’t solve many problems and I think we thought of a few more we could talk about at the next party. My brother Luke will be at the next one and he will always keep the conversation going.
Most everyone had to leave except Bill and Chris. We went to the upstairs bar and had an after dinner Kuba Kuba cigar and finished the Blanton’s. We had some interesting talk about installing boat docks for a living among other ventures in life. We thought about what to do for the next Cigar & Whiskey Fest. I am glad this one was low key because I am not sure my liver could handle a repeat of September. But I promise the next one will be amazing – Stay tuned…
We missed all that were invited and could not make it. There were a lot of new invitees and some past attendees who could not make it to this one. Next time I will plan it with more time for guys to clear their calendars.
Cheers,
Dr. B