The Real Smoke Podcast with Charles and Mick latest episode!
This week on The Real Smoke podcast, they sat down with Desiree Sylver of Drunk Chicken Cigars. She shares her journey—from her childhood and passion for music to her unexpected path into the cigar industry.
Growing up, music played a major role in her life, earning her a scholarship to further her studies. But school wasn’t always easy. A pivotal moment came when a teacher helped her discover that she had dyslexia. With this realization, she adapted her learning style and went on to earn her degrees.
Her introduction to cigars came through her first marriage. Her then-husband would bring her along to cigar lounges, always handing her a big ring-gauge, full-bodied cigar. It was an intense smoking experience, but she enjoyed the atmosphere.
After her divorce, she continued visiting lounges—but this time, she ventured into the humidor herself. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped as she realized the vast variety of cigars beyond just full-bodied Maduros. With guidance from the staff, she picked out a sampler that truly expanded her palate.
When she met her now-husband, he casually mentioned that he was going to smoke a cigar. Her response? “Let me grab my humidor.” He was blown away. As they traveled together, visiting cigar lounges and even farms where cigars are produced, their passion deepened. Eventually, they decided to create a few blends for their personal enjoyment. But as they smoked them in lounges, people kept asking, “What are you smoking?” The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many encouraging them to sell their cigars. That planted a seed that would later flourish into Drunk Chicken Cigars.
I don’t want to spoil too much from the episode, but I’ll leave you with the story behind the brand’s unique name. Desiree and her husband had a home bar and kept pet chickens. One evening, as they smoked and drank with friends, someone joked that the chickens must be drunk based on the way they were walking and acting. The name stuck—not just for their bar, but eventually for their cigar brand.
When a larger company suggested they change the name to something more traditional, like their last name, Desiree refused to budge. Some retailers even declined to carry the brand because of the name. In response, they decided to add DC to the branding to make it more approachable for those shops, but the essence of Drunk Chicken Cigars remains unchanged.
Overall, this episode offers great insight into the journey of a female cigar brand owner in a male-dominated industry—one that’s seeing more and more women join the ranks. Don’t miss it!
Take a listen to the episode and drop a comment with your thoughts. Let’s keep the conversation going.
I’m John Cardenas, also known as Johnny Havana in the cigar industry. What I love about being involved with Cigar Public is that I have the opportunity to learn and share the stories of those in the cigar industry. I’ve formed lifelong relationships over a cigar and conversations. I’m committed to providing honest reviews of cigars and sharing my experiences with you. @JohnnyHavana
