Tasting Room of Monona
By Alek Olson
Jason Smith, owner of Tasting Room in Monona, Wisconsin, did not always smoke cigars. When he was growing up in Superior, Wisconsin, he was introduced to cigars, but seeing his first cigar was a Swisher Sweet, he was not impressed. Cigar brands like Swisher Sweet absolutely have their place in introducing uncultured and often underaged individuals to tobacco products, among other things, but Jason knew there had to be more.
While attending law school in Boston, Jason was introduced to his first “enjoyable” cigar experience. Accompanied by good friends and great conversation, he enjoyed an Ashton Classic. Jason’s wife, Jessica, was brought into the cigar scene by Jason. He called her introduction to cigars the “litmus test” of their relationship! Little did she know they would both go on to create one of the most beautiful cigar lounges in the country!
Over the years, while working in private equity, Jason would often visit the original location of Tasting Room that stood just down the road from it’s current location — it became a second office to him. While he was there, like many of us, he found that a cigar lounge is one of the few places where people can relax, connect, unwind, and engage in conversation while having the enjoyment of a premium cigar be the vehicle that curates this unique sense of community. He did not always have his sights on owning the cigar shop, but he called it an “evolution.” He and Jessica try to make it a habit to not only see things the way they are, but think about what they could be and how they could make their dreams a reality!
Once they decided to buy Tasting Room, they went at it without reservations. They did not only want to create the best place to smoke a cigar but the best place to go if you were out with someone who is smoking a cigar. Oftentimes, cigar lounges are old, dark, filled with unventilated smoke, everyone is broken up into their cliques, and hard to engage with – this is not the case with Tasting Room. Its aesthetic is open, modern, filled with clean surfaces, comfortable to sit in on of their many leather chairs, or at the bar, and it is welcoming to not only cigar aficionados but to first-time cigar smokers and even those who are just there to have a drink at their world-class cocktail bar! The shop is also known for its amazing events such as whiskey and cigar pairings, cigar brand highlights, and weekly evenings with live music! If that isn’t enough, when the weather allows, they open the outdoor patio with gas-lit fire pits for everyone to enjoy and even offer a two-hour “Tasting Room Pontoon” boat tour on the beautiful Yahara River!
Another trait that makes Tasting Room unique is how inviting not only the atmosphere is, but the staff that they so brilliantly hire. When Jason and Jessica hire employees to be a part of the Tasting Room family, they don’t hire with the attitude of hiring people to work for them, but with them. This is very apparent from the second you walk into the door to the time you leave. The staff are highly in tune with the customers' needs and are always seeking ways to improve the customer's experience. At the bar, Reid, their Beverage Director, sinks everything he has into making the customers' experience at the bar memorable. Reid does not only curate one of the best selections of wine and spirits in the state but creates it. He makes his own Bloody Mary mix, gum syrup, his famous “Cigar Box Bitters,” and much more from scratch. To add to the list of excellent hires of the Smiths was the acquisition of Adam Bruner, the General Manager when they purchased the business and began its transformation. Adam has been with Tasting Room for many years and manages and cares for the store and his team as if they are his own. He is involved in the day-to-day workings of the shop, managing staff, selecting cigars to bring into the shop, and maintaining the customer experience that creates return customers for years to come!
Adam and his team have flexibility on what they bring into the store, but they are also a part of associations that allow them to carry unique cigars! One of those associations is the Tobacconists Association of America (TAA). The TAA is an association comprised of brick-and-mortar cigar retailers across the country that supports the cigar industry and develops sa network for these stores to be a part of. The TAA also offers the TAA Exclusive Series of cigars that are sold exclusively at participating TAA stores, so next time you are in a TAA store like Tasting Room, be sure to pick up some TAA Exclusive releases!
At ATF Magazine, we are passionate about supporting the industries that we serve as well as introducing our readers to businesses like Tasting Room! An industry like the premium cigar industry is fragile and our freedom to sit down with a delicious cigar and a craft spirit with family and friends is becoming more uncommon as the days go on. If you are in the Madison, WI area, show Tasting Room your support by stopping in for a cigar and a drink and picking up a TAA Exclusive cigar while you are there! Learn more about Tasting Room by visiting tastingroomofmonona.com.
