The Apple Pie Is Smaller. The Nostalgia Is Not

Happy Independence Day from Eat Drink Smoke — and welcome to our 400th episode! America turns 250, Eat Drink Smoke hits 400, and Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy celebrate with fried apple pie, patriotic cigars, cold beer, and a whole lot of fast-food nostalgia. The show kicks off with the triumphant return of the deep-fried McDonald’s Hot Apple Pie. Is it smaller than it used to be? Absolutely. Is it basically an apple pie egg roll now? Also yes. But does it still taste like Gen X childhood wrapped in flaky, cinnamon-apple joy? Oh, you better believe it. Tony and Fingers light up the John Adams from Liberty Cigars, a 6x52 torpedo featuring a Habano wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. Is Liberty Cigars just patriotic shtick, or is there something real happening here? The guys break down the flavor profile, burn issues, construction, price point, and whether the John Adams belongs in your humidor. Since the Midwest heat index is roughly “surface of the sun,” bourbon takes a backseat to beer. Fingers reviews the Dogfish Head Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager, while Tony tries the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. Also this week: a TSA traveler allegedly tries to hide smoke grenades in peanut butter, companies second-guess replacing workers with AI, Americans are eating way too many meals in their cars, and a terrifying reminder that wire grill brushes belong in the trash. Plus, Tony explains why it is Independence Day, not just “the 4th of July,” Fingers admits how many meals he eats in the car, and the guys celebrate America 250 with cigars, beer, apple pie, and sarcasm. Find everything at [EatDrinkSmokeShow.com](EatDrinkSmokeShow.com).