Part I—An Introduction to the Big Smoke 2010
Smokey Butts, Papa Gar, and I attended Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke Las Vegas from November 12th through November 14th, 2010. Being the cigar aficionados that we are, we signed up for the complete event—Big Smoke Evening and Big Smoke Seminars. The event was sponsored by, well, in case you are really stupid and didn’t read the first sentence, Cigar Aficionado magazine. This was the 15th annual event in Las Vegas and took place at The Venetian on Las Vegas Boulevard.
The Big Smoke Evening occurred on two different nights—Friday, November 12th and Saturday, November 13th, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Tickets for each night were $240 each and included over 25 premium cigars, drinks, and gourmet food. Part II in this series describes the joy (and pain) of attending the Big Smoke Evening.
The Big Smoke Seminars took place on two mornings—Saturday, November 13th and Sunday, November 14th, from approximately 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. This event cost $550 and included a ticket to one of the Big Smoke Evenings. This event was for the serious cigar lover and we learned about topics such as counterfeit cigars, building a cigar brand, and the different areas where tobacco is grown. Additionally, attendees had an opportunity roll a cigar, eat gourmet food prepared by celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer, and drink Scottish whisky. Part III in this series describes the Big Smoke Seminars.
Finally, the C.Gar Family lived it up in Vegas and experienced a variety of the Las Vegas allure. Part IV in this series describes the part of Las Vegas that we experienced and provides some insight into what a couple of middle aged cigar lovers and a not-so-middle aged cigar lover does in Vegas when not smoking cigars. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” does not apply here. You’ll get the full unadulterated scoop—sin city baby!
