Tobacco Business

asked what she’d name her cigar brand. She told the manufacturer that she and her fiancé were considering calling it Mad Dog or something along those lines. When asked what that name meant to her, she responded it didn’t mean anything; it was just a name. “He said ‘No, no, no. A name has to mean something! You have to have a story behind it.’ So again, here was another lounge owner and manufacturer being very, very helpful in trying to help us navigate the waters of the cigar industry,” says Sylver. “We sat there smoking the cigars that they made, and he said, ‘Well, you need to come up with another name.’ So we’re sitting there talking, and we both said, ‘Drunk Chicken.’ He said, ‘I don’t know what that means, but that’s the name of your cigars. Tell me the story behind it.’ So we told him that our backyard’s named the drunk chicken and kind of joked about it. He said, “That’s perfect. That’s it. That’s what you should go with.’ He said it made sense to him, and it would make sense to others. And so we did.” Sylver’s philosophy is that life is too short to sit around and cry over a lot of things, thus the name Drunk Chicken Cigars worked for this new business venture. Because the name is a bit kitschy, some have questioned the legitimacy of the brand and its products when they first hear it. People not taking the brand seriously because of the name is another issue that is just part of the business process. Sylver has been told that if she’d change the name of her company, she might do better. She agrees to some extent but also feels there’s no certainty that a different name would necessarily make business any better. Drunk Chicken Cigars is here to stay. The poultry theme carries over into the names of the different cigar lines as well: the DCO (Drunk Chicken Original) the Mother Clucker, the Fat Hen, Living the Dream and Sweet Dreams. These cigars are all based on Sylver and Rico’s palates and what they enjoy eating and drinking. Rico prefers 6 x 60 cigars while Sylver likes Lanceros. Rico likes full-bodied cigars and Sylver prefers cigars that are more on the medium side. When creating the blends, Sylver wanted a cigar that was spicy and would pair with red wine—and something that was quick to smoke. Mother Clucker had the spice Sylver wanted, and Living the Dream is a smooth smoke that could be enjoyed in a short amount of time. Sweet Dreams was developed after receiving the request for something sweet. Discussions with lounge owners also led to the development of several other cigars, including the Egg-Treme and the event-only Homicidal Hen. Five of the blends were launched right before the pandemic, and with in-person events unable to happen, Sylver relied on virtual herfs and Zoom meetings to get feedback on her products. This feedback helped to refine the company’s marketing plans, giving them retail and consumer-generated tasting notes and descriptions of their cigars. Everything Sylver and her team does is a collaboration, and the feedback received from customers is how Drunk Chicken Cigars is quickly becoming a favorite among cigar enthusiasts looking for something different to smoke. Timing has also played a role in Drunk Chicken Cigars’ gradual rise. With the company launching during 2020, Sylver and her company were sought out by those looking to support Black-owned and female-led businesses. “At the time, while there was Tres Lindas [Cubanas Cigars], led by two Afro-Cuban sisters, I think I was maybe the only other one that was visible,” she says. “Now I’m sure there were other ones, but at that time, it just felt like we were the only two companies out there that were female, Afro-owned. It kind of propelled us.” As a female brand owner, Sylver has also encountered her fair share of questions regarding her knowledge of cigars and about being a brand owner. While this aspect of the business has been frustrating, she chooses to focus on getting to yes rather than any nos she may receive. She also incorporates her own experiences into her brand, making sure her company and its cigars appeal to the masses rather than a segment of the industry. “I do make a conscious effort to make sure that I’m inclusive, because one of the things that I love about the cigar industry is that I can go to just about any lounge, sit down, and the person across from me can be a different color, race, orientation, religion, whatever, and we can have a great conversation,” she says. “That’s what I try to focus on: making sure that we’re inclusive because I do believe we’re a cigar company first.” Strategic collaborations with companies such as spirits brand Uncle Nearest have helped Drunk Chicken Cigars scale its business. [ 36 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | 21 ]