One of the great things about the Hollyhock community is the initiative of its members.  One such initiative is the monthly gatherings of “Smoke and Bourbon” for guys (or really anyone who enjoys the combo).

The concept started 3 years ago in October 2020 when neighbors Chuckie Heitz, Tom Konestzny, John Redmond and Brendan O’Malley (lovingly nicknamed the “Cherry Blossom Crew” due to their houses being on Cherry Blossom Road) were sitting outside, around the fire pit, drinking bourbon and smoking cigars… while solving all the world’s problems and feeling confident about their contributions to the effort. This gathering quickly expanded from a once-a-week summit to three nights a week with more members joining and additional conversation. 

After a few months, Chuckie envisioned the fire pit discussions could be a much bigger thing as well as more inclusive for the neighborhood.  He began posting pictures of the campfire conventions and inviting all the adult men to join. It was then that Chuckie went to Tom and explained, “we need to host a smoke and bourbon event for the neighborhood!” Tom was all in and insisted he host the inaugural “Smoke and Bourbon” in his backyard.  Chuckie took to Facebook to make the announcement!  He explained the concept: BYO bourbon and he would supply the cigars and treats. The response was overwhelming with more than 80 men from the neighborhood (and possibly more than 80 bottles of bourbon).  

Since then, the ceremony has been tweaked with the following format:

After three years of assemblies the communal occurrence is still going strong. Chuckie said it now averages about 40 people per event and while it is mostly a “guys night”, it is truly a great way to spend the evening with old friends and new acquaintances.  If you get a chance, please thank the “Cherry Blossom Crew” for conjuring up such an awesome concept for our neighborhood to enjoy!