Up in Smoke
A Secret Cigar Society in Old Town

Good beer. A sunny afternoon. A fat cigar.

You’re all set. In fact, you’re only missing one thing. A woman to enjoy it with.

Or better yet, a whole team of them...

Welcome to the Up Down Garden Smoking Party, an under-the-radar summer soiree tonight in Old Town with Cuban music, Chicago brew, Honduran cigars—and women who know how to handle all three.

As you know, Up Down Cigar is the Wells Street shop that’s been supplying stogies to Chicago for nearly 50 years and run by a woman named Diana Silvius. Now, she’s been hosting these monthly summer soirees that light up with a mix of tobacco novices, connoisseurs and collectors.

Consider this a sort of tropical rainforest retreat, where you can swap stories with locals while puffing on their homegrown delicacies. When you enter, you’ll immediately be handed a complimentary Honduran cigar. Make your way to a lush paradise teeming with Goose Island beer, a gratis buffet of grilled chicken and candy imported from the fudge shop down the street.

And while cigars and beer sounds like a bit of a bachelor party, tonight you’ll be witnessing history: the inaugural meeting of the Chicago Cigar Dames, a women-only cigar club that’s fine with you hanging around, at least this once.

That’s right: puff mamas.