August in Arizona is not really a month. It is more like a full-scale character test administered by the sun.
By late August, nobody is asking, “Is it hot today?” We already know the answer. The question is more like, “Can I touch my steering wheel without losing fingerprints?” or “Why does the mailbox feel like it was preheated to 425?”
But somehow, right in the middle of this annual desert bake-off, America has given us something truly meaningful to celebrate: National Cherry Popsicle Day.
Yes, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the nation pauses to honor the cherry popsicle—that noble frozen red stick that melts instantly, stains permanently, and makes grown adults look like they just lost a fistfight with a snow cone.
Naturally, this makes it the perfect theme for the August Cigar Meetup.
The Details
August Cigar Meetup
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 26
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: To be disclosed to those on the C-List, also known as the Cigar List, because even cigar smokers apparently need a classified information system now.
To get the address, join the C-List at cigarmeetup.us.
We would publish the location here, but the HOA already spends enough time clutching clipboards and looking concerned. No need to hand them a printed invitation to start breathing into a paper bag.
Why Cherry Popsicles? Because nothing says “elegant evening of cigars and conversation” quite like a frozen dessert that turns your tongue red and drips down your wrist before you can say, “This was a bad idea.”
The cherry popsicle is simple. It is classic. It is refreshing. It is also basically a crime scene on a stick.
Which makes it perfect for August.
By Aug. 26, we will all be looking for relief from the heat, and if that relief comes in the form of artificially flavored cherry ice that begins melting the second it sees daylight, so be it.
We are not proud. We are hydrated. Barely.
What to Bring: Bring your favorite cigars, your favorite adult beverage, and whatever dignity you still have left after surviving another Arizona summer.
We will have drawings for prizes, which means someone will win something useful, someone will complain they never win anything, and at least one person will insist the whole thing was rigged despite having no evidence and no real understanding of how tickets work.
There may also be cherry popsicles, assuming someone remembers to buy them before the store sells out to children, nostalgic adults, and people making poor nutritional decisions in the freezer aisle.
A Word About AJ: Every cigar group needs variety. Some bring great cigars. Some bring great stories. AJ brings evidence that the HOA may need a crisis-response committee.
Still, in the spirit of National Cherry Popsicle Day, we welcome him—because every party needs something slightly sticky and hard to explain.
Join Us: So come out on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. for cigars, laughs, drinks, prizes, and the official celebration of a frozen red stick that somehow got its own national holiday.
Summer may still be trying to cook us alive, but we are fighting back the only way we know how: With cigars, sarcasm, questionable judgment, and possibly cherry-stained fingers.
We’ll see you there. Cherry tongue optional. Sarcasm required.
This official observation is brought to you by Mike and David, your humble Cigar Kings, who accept no responsibility for AJ’s behavior, opinions, parking decisions, or anything he says after his second adult beverage.