The Stogie Lads - No Bullshit, Just Stogies.
Dear Carl, dear Ruben, tell us a little bit more about yourselves, what’s your story?
We’re two young (at least for the cigar community) Swedish lads that love cigars. We’ve both lived abroad most of our lives and have also known each other for a very long time and have bonded over our shared love for cigars! A few years ago, we decided to start our Instagram account as a sort of digital diary of the cigars we smoked. It quickly grew into a huge community and we’ve loved every second of it!
What does a great cigar experience look like for you?
A great cigar experience for us starts with great company. Of course, there are times where smoking alone can be enjoyable for the meditative nature, but the most memorable smokes have been shared in the company of others. Other than that, a still summer night with a nice dram or port wine capping off a big dinner is very hard to beat!
Do you have any unusual habits when it comes to enjoying cigars?
Carl has been said to smack his lips quite loudly at times (been pointed out in YouTube reviews) and Ruben is a fairly slow smoker. Other than that, though, we’re very straightforward in our enjoyment of cigars!
“... a still summer night with a nice dram or port wine capping off a big dinner is very hard to beat.”
What made you become ambassadors for Light ‘em Up GO?
The intention to gather cigar smokers on a unified platform to virtually or physically meet up is something we’ve been discussing ourselves, so when we came in contact with the founders of Light ‘em Up GO we were immediately positively inclined to work with them. Instagram, which has been our main channel, doesn’t let followers connect with each other, only with us. So, we would love to bring our community to a place where there is a greater possibility for cigar lovers to connect with each other and us more directly!
Do people often ask you “Where can I smoke”, or “Where can I buy”?
These questions show up all the time from people and we always try to give a good answer but in certain parts of the world we don’t have the best knowledge of good lounges or stores. Here in Sweden we get asked that all the time, though, as our government makes cigar smoking quite difficult!
Who do you think should know this?
Honestly, the most basic answer would be anyone that loves cigars and being social and connecting with others of the same passion. More specifically, though, we’d say anyone that has had a tough time finding other cigar-lovers where they live. Although there are a lot of cigar smokers around the world, the hobby is quite niche nowadays and it can be hard to find people to meet up to share this passion with. Light ‘em Up GO will certainly make that a lot less difficult!
You already had a look behind the scenes, what are you hyped about?
The feature which lets you host herfs either physically at your own home or the built in, virtual herf is super cool. This is a great way for people to connect easily from all corners of the world. That tool will be super exciting for us to use too, as we often get asked to host virtual events and smoke sessions which we’ve always wanted to do. Before, however, it’s been quite a hassle but with Light ‘em Up it will be a lot of fun to host smoke sessions and herfs virtually!
Lads, thank you so much, it’s fantastic to have you on board and we are looking forward to creating something BIG together with you and your amazing community!
PS: Feel free to follow Carl and Ruben and their cigar lifestyle on IG:
Interested in becoming an ambassador yourself? We’d love to get to know you!