Desiree Sylver, cigar aficionada turned cigar crafter, founded Drunk Chicken Cigars in 2019. Located in Washington, D.C., Drunk Chicken Cigars is a minority and woman-owned boutique cigar brand that is dedicated to creating premium cigars that according to Desiree, are “nub-a-licious.”
In just a few short years and during a pandemic, the brand has grown rapidly, and it has developed a strong following among cigar enthusiasts. So how did Drunk Chicken Cigars get started? And how did it get such an eyebrow-raising name?
When travelling through Florida, Sylver visited a cigar rolling shop, which had an extensive inventory of tobacco. Desiree asked them if they could create a blend based on her preferences. They did. She liked it. She went back to them and asked if they could make 200 cigars based on some blends she developed and sell it to her at a special price. They did that too. Then she asked them to make 500 cigars based on different blends. The blends were for her and her boyfriend’s personal use.
They eventually started to hand them out to friends and at cigar lounges. The cigars were well-received, and people started to encourage them to sell the cigars. Bobby, the co-owner of Aphelion Cigar Lounge in Maryland, was the first to carry her cigars. Desiree designed the band and sought out a company to produce it. She then started reaching out to other cigar shops and lounges. From there the brand took off.
The Drunk Chicken name was inspired by Sylver’s own free-range chicken farm, which she has for personal use. She has a “She Shed,” where Desiree and her friends get together for wine, cigars and a good time. One day, the chickens were walking around and bumping into each other. One of her friends said that the chickens looked like they were drunk. This inspired Sylver to name the shed “Drunk Chicken.” She had a plaque made with the name and the following caption, “Welcome to the Drunk Chicken. Where whiskey, wine, and cigars are welcomed, and we’re living the dream.” This inspired her to name the company “Drunk Chicken.”
The cigars are named after her chickens for example the Fat Hen, a 6” * 60 toro, is named after Shirley, one of her fattest hens. The band features a caricature of Shirley. Mother Clucker was named after Midnight a rooster, who is very feisty. The chickens that appear on the cigar bands are based on her real chickens.
As a United States based company, Drunk Chicken cigars are rolled in the U.S.A., and Desiree plans to keep production in the US.
Desiree Sylver’s promise to her customers is “that you will have a good enjoyable smoking experience. If you don’t, reach out to me. Let me know because I’m willing to make sure you have customer satisfaction.”
According to Desiree, “Drunk Chicken cigars are anytime of the day cigars so you are sure to find something you will enjoy. And smoke them to the nub.” Because they really are “nub-a-licious!”
The Drunk Chicken Original is full-bodied cigar with a notes of coffee, and spicy, earthy, and peppery profile.
The Drunk Chicken Fat Hen is a medium to full-bodied cigar with notes of spice, wood, and earth.
The Drunk Chicken Mother Clucker is a flavorful medium-bodied stick with a woodsy profile and spicy and peppery notes.
The Drunk Chicken Living the Dream is a medium bodied cigar with an underlying sweetness and a spicy, earthy profile.
The
Drunk Chicken Sweet Dreams is a mild smoke with delicious notes of nuts and chocolate underscored with a subtle spiciness.
Published on April 26, 2021.