Barbecue, Whiskey, Cigars, Oh My!

There’s a lot of buzz about Studio Square’s upcoming Smoke festival in LIC. Our interest was piqued until we took a look at the price tag. It’s $114 just to attend! That seems a little high, especially since that same day you could hop on the G and attend GoogaMooga in Prospect Park for half the price. But then we found out what you get for it and, well, it’s a relative bargain.

This festival isn’t for the faint-of-heart, or those with heart disease. With admission you get four free Rocky Patel cigars in an ostrich-skin case they claim is worth $150. That already puts you up about $40 over the entry fee. Once inside, you get free unlimited tastings of Glenlivet, Jameson, Pernod Ricard, and Chivas Regal whiskeys. On top of that, there’s unlimited BBQ. (There’s also a pay-bar for you non-whiskey drinkers.)

So is it worth it? If you’re a whiskey-drinking, cigar-chomping meat-eater who likes large outdoor festivals, then, yes, this is totally worth it. And if you think about it, you’d easily blow $45 on food and booze at GoogaMooga and probably wait in longer lines. A caveat: this kind of party might strain your relationship with your vegan, non-smoker, teetotalling S.O., so maybe go it alone this one time (or bring your drinking buddies for a slightly discounted group-rate).

Smoke takes place at Studio Square Beer Garden on from 1 – 5 p.m. on May 18th.