2014 Big Smoke Saturday Seminars—Lunch with Alec Bradley Cigars

Cigars

2014 Big Smoke Saturday Seminars—Lunch with Alec Bradley Cigars

Nov 12, 2014 | By David Clough

After a non-stop morning of educational seminars, Q&A, and smoking along with their favorite cigar celebrities, Big Smoke Las Vegas attendees were ready to eat.

Hosted by Alec Bradley Cigars, and led by vice president of marketing Sam Phillips, the lunch started with an appetizer of iceberg wedge salad with bacon, tomatoes and bleu cheese dressing. Hungry cigar fans quickly moved on the entrée: marinated New York strip steak served with crispy fried onions, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and haricots verts. The meal was paired with an Italian red, Castello di Gabbiano Toscana Solatio 2012.

For dessert, New York-style deep dish cheesecake was served with strawberry or blueberry sauce.

But the main focus of the lunch wasn't the delicious meal. As soon as guests entered the ballroom to eat they were handed a bag of free cigars (Alec Bradley Family Blend The Lineage Robusto, Nica Puro Robusto and Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto) and were instructed to keep their eyes directed up on stage.

"Who wants to play a game?" Phillips asked the audience, as they picked up their forks and knives. "Who wants to win some free stuff?"

What followed was a bevy of games and challenges. Alec Bradley barbecue sets, bathrobes, ashtrays and boxes of free cigars were given away. Guests were asked to take out their mobile phones, sign into Twitter, and tweet their most embarrassing cigar story to be read aloud by Phillips.

Audience members were then asked to look under their chair to see if they had a special Alec Bradley crown card hidden underneath. There were group trivia competitions, joke telling contests and a visit from Glenfiddich Brand ambassador, Mitch Bechard, who gave away bottles of 12-year, 15-year and 18-year-old Scotch, respectively.

Halfway through the entrée, the audience was on the verge of prize-fueled hysteria. Phillips had the crowd howling for merchandise, waving black table napkins in the air like flags of war and demanding free cigars. The laughter and energy was impossible to ignore. Big Smoke attendees left the Alec Bradley lunch breathless and satiated, fired up for the evening event, and with arms full of gifts.