I recently had the opportunity to chat with Erik Espinosa of Espinosa Cigars about his background in cigars and his future plans for the acclaimed brand. Watch as he dives into his earliest thoughts and impressions about cigars, cigar-making relationships, and his collaborative project with Guy Fieri, Knuckle Sandwich, and much more in this episode of "SmokeRings."

Early Days Of Espinosa Cigars

[Tyler Caldwell]: Today my good friend, Erik Espinosa of Espinosa Cigars, and I will discuss the brand and the man behind it. So, good to have you here, Erik. How many years have you been making Espinosa Cigars?

[Erik Espinosa]: Twelve years. I've been in the industry for 23 years. I did have the 601's prior to that, and I had a business partner on it. The way I started was as an independent broker. I would sell for different manufacturers in the state of Florida, and I had some great brands, and I developed great relationships with a lot of those guys: Drew Estates, Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, and Camacho. I developed great friendships. But one day I received a call from one of the manufacturers and I won Salesman of the Year. And I got a check for $20,000 and a pink slip on the same day, and I thought, I don't have any job security, because there was no contract, and I'm selling myself out of a job, and I was really good at it.

I think I'm the only father in the country or one of the few fathers in the country that took my son out of college. I told him, "Listen, knowledge is power. School's overrated. A lot of people go to college and don't do what they went to college for. Unless you're going to be a doctor, engineer, or something you have a passion for. I have this good idea and a lot of connections. I know a lot of people. Let's rock and roll." I didn't know how this would work, so he took a course online and came on board 12 years ago. And we've had so many accolades. I mean, we've had Cigar of the Year with Cigar Snob Magazine. Every year we're in Cigar Aficionado's Top 25. For the 12 years we've been on it eight times.

[TC]: That's impressive.

[EE]: Yeah, so we're doing some great stuff. More and more people are getting to know who we are, but we do things the right way. I'm a firm believer that if you do things the right way, people will respond. I don't cut corners in life. Things have been going great, but it's a lot of hard work.

[TC]: Yeah. So you brought up 601 earlier. The originals were made at the My Father factory, right?

[EE]: Yes. After time goes by, when you have other manufacturers making your cigars, you have to wait your turn on when you get it and all that. And I just said to myself, I want to be able to do everything and be in control of everything. I just felt that I had to make them, because I want them in a timely fashion. And now we control all that. AJ makes some of my cigars and we have some that we make in La Zona, and then people ask me why I use AJ. It's very simple: There's wrappers that I can't get. And he gets the best wrappers in the world. We made a deal, and I have 'em made in Ocotal, which is a factory. It's far from Estelí going into the Honduran border. Our relationship is great, and business is booming for us.

[TC]: That's always a positive, man.

Erik Espinosa's Relationship With Cigars

[TC]: What initially got you into cigars? Like you said, you were a broker beforehand. I believe you've told me before that you worked with Rocky Patel.

[EE]: I did. The truth is, Tyler, I hated cigars with a passion. One of the things I hated the most in life was cigars. And you're going to ask me why. Well, being Cuban, my dad would smoke in the bathroom, in the living room, and in the kitchen. He didn't care. And I know what cigar smoke does to a house. You know, the curtains were white, and now they're yellow. I don't know if he ever wanted us to smoke cigars. I mean, my dad's still alive, he's 87 years old. And I promise you, I've never seen anybody eat cigars. And he does. I know you don't believe me. My dad eats cigars. And just like me, I'm a chewer. My dad's cigars look like a paintbrush.

One day, I was around 16 and my brother and I took some for a party at the house and some beers and some cigars. And I tried my first cigar and I kind of liked it. I didn't get sick or anything like that. And then every party we would do the same thing. And then I started and I would have one once a week. And then it became once every couple days. Now it's 10-12 a day. Look at me now, I'm in the cigar business. Something that I couldn't stand, I hated it, you know?

[TC]: It's always interesting when you go from one extreme to the other, going from absolutely despising something, and then, as you grow, you start realizing how much you really love it.

[EE]: Yeah, I have it in my blood. Being Cuban, you go down to Cuba and they grow tobacco in a lot of regions. Some regions are better than others, but you see that everywhere. And it's very rare that you don't see an old Cuban guy smoking cigars.

[TC]: Sure. It's the heritage.

[EE]: It is.

Espinosa's Personal Favorite & Future Plans For The Brand

[TC]: So with your wide portfolio of Espinosa Cigars, do you have anything that is your personal favorite, or your daily go-to?

[EE]: I do, I do. I made a cigar called Laranja. And Laranja means orange in Portuguese. I called it Laranja so people wouldn't think it's infused with orange. I don't squeeze oranges and lemons in the cigar. I also named it that way because my favorite color is orange. And I happened to be on a flight to Nicaragua. And I saw a quote in the American Airlines magazine. It said, "Orange is the happiest color" by Frank Sinatra. And I'm a Frank Sinatra fan, so when I landed, I knew I wanted to make a cigar with an orange band.

And then in Nicaragua, or I guess in Honduras and the Dominican Republic, I was sorting tobacco when I got there and came across something orange: it was a Brazilian Habano wrapper called Bahiano. And I started angling with it a little bit and making some blends and stuff. And I flat out loved it. I blended it to my taste. You know, most cigars, we have to blend to what the public wants and all that. But this cigar is something that's close to my heart and it's my favorite cigar in the whole world. Not because I make it. I smoke other people's stuff. You know, there's a lot of great cigars out there.

[TC]: Sure, it's always good to support.

[EE]: I don't tell everybody I make the best cigars. I know I make good cigars, but it's a matter of opinion, a matter of taste. But that to me, if you tell me I have to be on an island and smoke one cigar for the rest of my life, Laranja is the one.

[TC]: Very interesting. I personally always liked the Corona myself. So I might have to smoke one of those later. We've gotten a little bit of understanding of your history and everything. Are there any future plans for Espinosa? What can people expect in the next five to 10 years?

[EE]: Hopefully in 10 years I'll be in Tahiti. I'm 57, you know what I'm saying? But I'm like the Energizer Bunny — I don't know when to quit. I'll tell you a story about something that happened. I used to make a brand of cigars for a company called Cornelius & Anthony. He used to be big into tobacco. He was the largest grower of Burley in Virginia. And he also had a cigarette company that he sold to Philip Morris for a lot of money.

About three, four years ago, maybe even more, I don't remember, but I saw him at the trade show. I said, "Steve, what are you doing here? Don't answer that, let me guess. You're bored out of your mind." He said, "Erik, I got f-you money. I've got everything I want. I don't know what the hell to do with myself. Can you make me a cigar? I'm going to sell it myself. I'm going to go knocking on doors and sell it." I give that advice to everybody. If you're going to retire, whatever, have a plan, you know? I'm not a big golfer. I do play once in a while, but what am I going to do, bro? I mean, I still have a lot of energy.

My son has been handling a lot of the business now. And I have a great team. So your question is, what do I see in the coming years? I'm going to probably still be doing this. I might be here next year doing the same interview with you. I don't plan on going anywhere again, I just want to continue working hard. I like traveling. Everything in moderation. We have some good and exciting things in the works. As you know, we made a cigar for Guy Fieri, and that's been exciting. That's been a crazy run. It's been a rollercoaster ride.

Collaboration With Guy Fieri: Knuckle Sandwich Cigars

[TC]: I'm actually glad you brought that up. That was going to be my next topic: the Knuckle Sandwich line of cigars. This is the Maduro Robusto, my personal favorite out of the Knuckle Sandwich collection. It's definitely a cigar that I feel revitalized Espinosa. It put you on the map even further than you already were there.

[EE]: Sure.

[TC]: So I wanted to know, and I'm sure others would also like to know, how did that connection come to be with Guy Fieri?

[EE]: I don't post anything political or religious on social media. I like to bust balls and crack jokes and all that. One day I said, "I'm sick and tired of people telling me I look like Brad Pitt." A mutual friend of ours, a guy out of California, has a couple homes, one in California, one in Florida, and he got his star in Hollywood. And I saw a picture of Guy Fieri. Matthew McConaughey is one of his best friends, and they were there, and Guy wanted to have his own brand of cigars for a while. But the people around him, his agents and all that, told him, no, it's tobacco. You know how the whole world hates us. And when he finally got a star in Hollywood, he said, "Now can I have my cigar company?" And they said, "Yeah, I guess you made it."

Then he started doing his research. He didn't want a huge company because he'd get lost in the shuffle. He wanted somebody who was similar to him. So he did his research on me. And he really liked what I posted about the Brad Pitt joke, because he does the same thing. So he reached out to me. Coincidentally, I happened to be in Miami when he was there. He was filming the Food and Wine Festival. He called me up and we met the next day. Every manufacturer and cigar company has dealt with celebrities, like athletes and others in the entertainment industry, or what have you. And the meeting was at 10, so I knew he was going to be late and all that. I arrived at 9:30, got a cup of coffee, and sat down and smoked a cigar. I was sitting next to the coach of LSU when they won the national championship, Ed Bergeron. He just happened to be there. And then Guy shows up about 10 minutes later, about 20 minutes early. He brought a bottle of tequila and he looked at me and said, "Are you Erik?" I said, "Are you Bill?" And he goes, "They told me you were a smart-ass."

So we started talking. I handed him a cutter, a lighter, and a cigar. And he looked at me and he gave me the cutter back. "I don't use a cutter." I looked at him and said, "Well, you did your research on me." He said, "A little bit, but I really don't." And I said, "Well, let me see you cut your cigar." He wet it a little bit and spit out the thing and lit it up. I said, "Cool, you passed the first test." And we started talking. He wanted me to make him a cigar, and I told him no. And he looked at me, and said, "Why not?" I said, "Listen, man. There's so many celebrities that tried this and it doesn't work." He goes, "Why doesn't it work?" And I told him, "Because nobody does nothing about it. They think, because it has their name, it'll be successful on its own. Listen, I'm a fan of yours. I watch your show. Okay? But the cigar business is different. Nobody gives a shit about celebrities. And this cannot work. It won't work. There's only one way it'll work." And he goes, "How's that?" I told him, "You have to get involved."

His response was surprising. "What do you need me to do?" I told him about doing trade shows and events. I told him that I would follow him and make it easier for him as he films Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Wherever he was filming the television show, either myself or the sales manager of my team would be there, and we would select a shop that's close to where he was filming and we would do an event. "Too easy," he said.

Guy Fieri's Involvement In The Cigar Industry

[EE]: So we've done a lot of events, and I want to clarify this for your audience. The guy's a millionaire. The guy lives and dies working. I get my balls busted all over the country. "Oh, why can't you do an event with me?" He's going to do the event where he's filming, the closest shop 10-15 minutes away. He's not going to travel an hour and a half to do an event. So people get mad at me. But I don't control this guy. He's a busy man. I'm honored that he goes and does an event at all. He's gotten really involved. He came out on the cover of Cigar Aficionado Magazine. He has been to the trade show for the last three years. He does events. I couldn't tell you the amount of famous people who I've sent cigars to. Al Pacino, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Charles Barkley, Taylor Sheridan, you name 'em. It's truly been a rollercoaster ride

Here's a story: I went on this boat. We were in Florida, and I brought a couple friends of mine, the chief of police in my town and the mayor of my town. And they kind of know him because he's been in my office. And Guy says, "Bring those guys over and we'll go on the boat." When we got back to the house, John Travolta was in the middle of the living room. So there we are, cooking for John Travolta. And I helped Guy. I don't call him Guy when we're cooking, I call him Chef, because I know that's what they do on the show. We have a good time, and he's a good dude. And I want to tell everybody out there that the same way you see him in the show, that's the way he is. But one thing he really showed me is that he does everything the right way. And I've implemented that in my business even more. Everything he does, he's very fair. But if you don't do the right thing, then you're going to hear from him.

I struggle with that when people don't do it. When you have a job, you're paid to do the right thing. I expect those who have a job to do the right thing. I have bonus structures for these guys that when they hit those bonuses, they get paid. The way Guy handles his employees, they're right on top of it. They don't miss a beat because they know what he wants. He's an amazing guy, and not just that, but we're business partners. Our handshake is our business agreement.

He also gave me this chain that means a lot to me. He met Lee Majors, who used to do The Six Million Dollar Man and all that. I met him also, and he's a really nice guy. Lee Majors had a chain that Elvis Presley gave him, that's called "TCB," "Taking Care of Business." And it has a lightning bolt with a flash on it.

[TC]: Okay.

[EE]: Lee Majors is one of the guys who had it. There's not too many people that have it, only guys and girls he really likes. There's a couple of chefs that have it. So he gave it to me at the trade show, and I was honored that he did that. Beyond business, we're friends. We're still business partners, but it's different, it's a friendship. He calls me. "Hey Espinosa, can you do this?" "Yeah, bro, what do you need?" And he's got a great family. And I judge a person on how they are as a father. Because if you're not a good father, how the hell can you be a good friend?

I tell that to everybody. He's a great father, and I see the way he is with his kids and with his family; that's the kind of guy I want to be around. I'm not starstruck. I could care less. If I tell you the people that I've met through him. I mean, it's crazy. I had dinner with John Travolta. I like to be around him because he's real. I don't like the pompous BS. That does nothing for me. I like people that are real. And he's definitely one of them.

[TC]: I will say, I got to meet him briefly at PCA, and the energy that he gives, like you said, on the show, that's him in person. And he was just super humble. He doesn't act like, "I'm a celebrity, treat me better." He wants to be a part of the cigar community. And I really respected him for that.

[EE]: He's like a little kid in a candy store when he walks into a cigar shop. He loves lighters, don't ask me why, but he loves lighters. He goes to the lighter section first. I don't know what he's going to do with all these lighters, but he's got them, and he takes care of them. He's got a lot of cars. He's got his garage full of cars, but he's also got his lighter section. He decides what lighter he's going to take that day with him. He's a cigar smoker, I want everybody to know. He does know how to smoke cigars and he is a big cigar smoker. If you see him at the NBA All-Star game, for example, he's got a cigar in his mouth. Of course he can't light it, but everywhere you see him, you'll see him with a cigar. He doesn't care.

I'll tell you this quick story right now. His dad passed away and we're doing the celebration of life. And we're in California. He didn't know I was going. But I wanted to pay respect to the man. We're in this forest and the sawmill. There's No Smoking signs everywhere. And I have a cigar in my mouth, and I'm taking a couple boxes for his friends. Guy shows up with a cigar lit. And I said, "Guy." He goes, "Erik, what are you doing here?" Gives me a hug and says, "Bro, I appreciate you coming." And then I said, "They're going to bust your balls about smoking a cigar." He looks at me and says, "Espinosa, you know what I'm paying for this? I'm doing the celebration of life for my dad. It'd be an honor for me, for you to smoke a cigar with me here." So I got two boxes I brought and we cut them open. We're all smoking cigars, and not one person told us you can't smoke those cigars.

Future Endeavors Bridging Celebrities With The Cigar World

[EE]: He's doing great. Not just for Espinosa Cigars and Knuckle Sandwich. He's got plans to help our industry. And I can't find a better person or a better celebrity that I would want to be collaborating with, not because of who he is, or his platform, but because of the man he is. He really likes cigars. And he doesn't do this for the money. He does this because he really enjoys it. And that's what we need. And I would love to have more celebrities that do it the way he does it, whether it's with me or somebody else, I don't care, because the more exposure we get, the better it'd be for our business.

[TC]: Absolutely. I have really enjoyed these stories. It's always fun doing interviews like this, and getting to know people in the industry. Make sure you're going to Smokingpipes.com. You can find a very large amount of cigars there. Definitely check out Espinosa Cigars and let us know which ones are your favorite.