TWO OF A KIND
In 2022, collaborations are all the rage, from pop music to clothing lines. The trend has landed in the cigar world: a first-time collaboration has been announced between Dion Giolito of Illusione Cigars, a boutique cigar maker, and the mammoth Scandinavian Tobacco Group. The result is a limited-edition Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur, which began shipping the Fourth of July. This David-and-Goliath collaboration draws on the strengths of both brands, pairing an extensive reach and established supply chain with the attention to detail associated with small cigar makers. Excalibur is one of those long-established names in the cigar world, a brand with a major nostalgia factor that Giolito aimed to capitalize on. These new all-Nicaraguan cigars are made at the same factory where most Illusiones are produced. These are must-haves for summer. Sold in boxes of 10, $19.99 per cigar

OVER THE MOON
Summer’s peak is approaching, and New York-based Harridan Spirits is ready to celebrate the sunniest season with its limited edition Midsummer Reserve Vodka. Harridan was founded in 2020 by Bridgette Taylor, a Harvard MBA graduate whose vision was to upend the spirits industry with a female-owned brand that defined stereotypes and embraced the weird and the wonderful. In keeping with that ethos, Midsummer Reserve is a vodka crafted from organic corn and rested under a full moon during May’s lunar eclipse. The spirit has a creamy mouth feel, with notes of citrus and black pepper, resulting in a floral and truly summery sip. Midsummer Reserve was created in partnership with Instagram celebrity The Hood witch, and comes in an engraved wood Ritual Box along with a rosemary smudge stick, ritual candles, ritual oil bottle, crystals, and cocktail recipes featuring the lunar vodka. We’ll take a little weird with our summer, please. $129.99, shopharridan.com

A GRAND OPENING
Boutique cigar maker HVC has been on the scene since 2011, drawing on the rich heritage of handmade cigars in Havana. This summer, HVC is unveiling its new factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, a major step for the brand. To celebrate the factory’s opening, HVC is releasing Selección No. 1, featuring a Mexican wrapper and binder and fillers from the Jalapa and Estelí regions of Nicaragua. The blend is medium to full bodied, and the entire cigar is a point of pride for founder Reinier Lorenzo and his team, who for the first time in their cigar making careers are able to exercise an unprecedented amount of control and precision in the manufacturing process. Smokes are expected to ship in late July. Not every bespoke brand can make it in the cigar business. Those that do deserve a toast. Price TBD

Crowd Pleaser
Stephen Talk house is one of the most famous dive bars on Long Island, a local watering hole and music venue fused into one. The Amagansett mainstay has been expanding its brand in recent years, and this summer marks the launch of Talk house Encore, a lineup of ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Talkhouse Encore capitalizes on the simplicity and jovial spirit that have catapulted the bar to staple status, leaning into a no-frills aesthetic and ingredient list that’s shorter than a band’s setlist. The four offerings Grapefruit Tequila Soda, Blood Orange Tequila Soda, Cranberry Vodka Soda, and Lime Vodka Soda distill classic dive bar orders into a clean, neat package. Stephen Talkhouse has been hosting rock and roll concerts by major acts since 1987. Brands, like bands, have to reinvent themselves once in a while. We’ll take another round. $4.99/can, talkencore.com

STORIED SCOTCH
The release of Laphroaig’s annual Càirdeas edition is something of a holiday for fans of this famed single malt Scotch. This year’s limited edition bottling is Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1. The blend’s calling card is its aging process; Warehouse 1 is aged in the iconic Laphroaig facility of the same name, a nearly 200-year-old four-story Scottish warehouse by the sea. That pedigree imbues the Scotch with classic notes of salt, peat, and smoke. Rounding out each sip are sweet notes, calling to mind toffee and Manuka honey. The herbal notes enter on the finish: licorice and white pepper. Warehouse 1 is exclusively available to members of the free-to-join Friends of Laphroaig online community. The distillery describes this yearly release as a reward for its loyal fans. As always, it pays to have friends. $100, laphroaig.com