A remnant of a cigar lifestyle connecting two worlds
The wonderful world of cigars and the cigar lifestyle in general constantly provides enjoyment, camaraderie, and a connection to a rich history…each and every stone I turn rewards me with a limitless wealth of information. Cigar truth.
News to me was the fact that some aficionados collect cigar labels from the period of “When Key West was Cuban” 1860s, 70s and 80s, waves of Cuban immigrants crossed the Florida Straights searching for political freedom and economic possibilities. It worked, they would begin to start their own businesses and win political office, stitching Cuban culture into the fabric of this South Florida city, Key West.
This is some pretty cool stuff and just another example of how our beloved cigar lifestyle, hits us over-the-head with more great shizzle (thank you Snoop dogg). Recently (2017) there was a historic find…check this out:
Andrew Bulla, a Florida Keys man who discovered a regional treasure while shopping for vintage car parts on eBay, has placed his find into the hands of the Key West Art & Historical Society in a gesture to foster its cultural and historical preservation. The one-of-a-kind, mint-condition cigar label progressive proof book created for and signed in 1897 by Eduardo Hidalgo Gato, founder of the E. H. Gato Cigar Factory, has been digitized for online viewing in the future, and is now on display in the ‘Industries of Key West’ exhibit in the Dogwood 2 Gallery on the second floor of the Custom House Museum, 281 Front Street.
Hats-off Andrew, there’s a special place for you in cigar heaven…lol, wtf am I talking about, my made up phrase for today (we each get one per day); anyway, really enjoy learning about this stuff and sharing it with you the reader, my fellow aficionados.
The artistry and imagination imparted into these labels was pretty damn amazing…(no internet,imagine) , real and true talent, that’s what’s up. Hey, it’s memorial day weekend and I hope this post finds you well…big shout-out to all the US service men and women, thank you for your incredible service, it’s much appreciated.
Find yourself a comfy spot with some like minded people (or not), and light up that favorite smoke…you deserve it. ThinkCigar, it’s a lifestyle.
We smoke, we buy sell and trade our favorite sticks, we’re in love with everything cigar (at least I am), and here in the US, always chasing the “White Wale”, El Capitan…the Cuban cigar. The romantic thoughts and images, friends and family members bringing a few back from their cruises and trips abroad; chests puffed-up and poked-out as they present them to you, the holy grail of cigars, spoils of their great crusade.
The history of our infatuation with these rolled delights is rooted much closer to our American soil than one might think…most know very well of the pre-embargo availability of Cuban cigars; but how many of us are truly aware that the cigar capitol of the world is (or was) in the United States of America. Confused ? I bet you are, you see boys and girls from Key West, to Tampa FL by way of Cuba is how this thing unfolds. In the 1830s, commercial cigar rolling began in Florida, by Cuban immigrants.
New York cigar manufacturer Samuel Seidenberg (a German immigrant himself), established the first “clear Cuban” cigar factory in Key West in 1867. Using Cuban laborers to roll Cuban tobacco Mr. Seidenberg, pioneered the idea of making authentic Cuban cigars in America, while avoiding the high tariff levied against products from Havana, as well as the trade restrictions imposed by Spain.
There was a strong natural connection between cigar workers in Key West and Havana, and by the early 1890s, 50,000-100,000 people traveled back and forth annually.
(Havana cigar shop Key West FL, )
Cuban cigar makers create a new Florida city
Vicente Martinez Ybor, one of the most significant figures in the history of cigar making in Florida, established a cigar factory in Key West in 1869. Ybor had run a very successful cigar manufacturing business in Cuba, but he fled the country after colonial authorities discovered his connections with revolutionaries.
In 1885, he moved his cigar making operation from Key West to Tampa. Steamships could bring tobacco leaves from Cuba for the cigar factories, and Henry Plant’s new railroad connected the small town of Tampa to the rest of the country. The area around the cigar factories grew and became known as Ybor City.
Immigrants came not just from Cuba, but from Italy, Spain, and throughout Eastern Europe and Latin America in search of work. At its height in the 1880s, there were more than 100 factories in Key West. By 1910, there were 150 factories in the Tampa area employing more than 10,000 workers. Of the 50,000 residents of Tampa, 14,000 were Cuban, 7,500 were Spanish, and 1,500 were Italian. (informational facts from Florida Memory)
There is so much more rich and incredible history that belongs to this phenomena:
Mutual Aid Societies
Social Clubs
Paulina Pedroso
Jose Marti
The Spanish-American war and Cuban independence
The complete history is available for anyone so inclined to pursue, so I won’t try to capture it here in it’s entirety; but I gotta tell you, as a cigar guy I find this interesting as hell. By 1900 Ybor city was considered the cigar capitol of the world…not Cuba, but a carved out spot in hot-ass Tampa Florida. It was thriving.
For more than 50 years Ybor city shined with approximately 150 cigar factories employing and supporting many workers and families, a small buzzing community built for and around the production of fine cigars had come together in a very meaningful way. Our country had fallen in love with the craftsmanship of fine hand rolled cigars, an art form passed down through families…fathers to sons, mothers to daughters, enjoyed by many a cigar fan during that time.
Innovation !
We the people often times look to push through our accepted norms…this time in a way that would have an unforeseen affect on premium cigars. In 1917, a cigar rolling machine was invented that could roll 4,000 sticks per day, and by 1928 more than 50 % of cigars were made by machines. Ybor city began to slowly decline.
Our appetite for advanced machinery had placed it’s filthy hands around the neck of our home-grown Cuban cigar bonanza while we slept. Mother F***er ! But some things refuse to die; while Ybor city, hasn’t reached it’s previously glory, it has surely refused to disappear.
I have to say that upon learning the real history of the Cuban cigar connection to Ybor city, really fascinated me…but in all of my cigar conversations with friends and foe, I never hear of this rich history. While I’m not of Cuban decent (I was born in Bradenton FL), I’m extremely proud of these facts that link the people, the struggle, the tobacco, the art and passion that made this all possible.
There are many other stories that I will write about in the future that were born in Ybor city; but for now I hope this has educated and entertained the reader. Glad to spend this time you, it’s Friday and a good cigar awaits your arrival; don’t disappoint and enjoy your smoke.
Arnold famously yelled out on a movie set “where the f**k are my stogies”…like only the Terminator could. I think of Winston Churchill, George Burns, Groucho Marx, Bluto, or a host of other old-school characters. But why is it called a Stogie ?
I was recently in Providence, RI at a smoke shop (Broadway cigars), talking to my good friend and longtime cigar aficionado Mr. Karl Pease, who like he often does, started dropping cigar knowledge at a rapid pace (the man knows his sh**), he began to explain the origins of the word Stogie or stogy spelled by some…instead of trying to remember everything he said, I found an identical explanation on “Blog of Answers” Tobacco was picked up from the natives of the East Indies and introduced to Europe by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. The English word cigar is from the Spanish cigarro, which they took from cigarrales, a Cuban word meaning a place of leisure. Stogie is an abbreviation of Conestoga, and because the drivers of that wagon company (based in tobacco country) always had a roll-your-own cigar stuck in their mouths, observers called them stogies.
What is a stogie cigar ? Why are they are they called stogie cigars ?
The questions are many and the answers can be, well, let’s just say off-the-mark at best. You may put this in the useless information category or just not give a rat’s ass…frankly Charlotte, well you know the rest. Hey, we cigar folks this kinda stuff, it’s part of who we are…we like to think we know sh** about these subjects related to our cigar lifestyle.
I’m sure there are many stogie stories out there, images of fathers and uncles, construction workers, sexy women in more recent times…the culture is rich with lot’s of examples; hopefully I have given you some food for thought and a raised eye brow ( like oh, didn’t know that), no need to thank me, i’m here for your amusement…lol.
I hope your next cigar is the best one yet. Thinkcigar…it’s a lifestyle !
So many ways to address this question…to give an answer that might satisfy, may prove to be difficult; because the person asking the question most likely has never indulged in occasional cigar smoking, and therefore my have difficulty coming to terms with the answers given.
I imagine it might be helpful to lend some historical value to the subject at hand before we start waxing all nostalgic about our grandfathers and great uncles sucking on some retro sticks at family gatherings.
A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobaccoleaves made to be smoked. They are produced in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made up of three distinct components: the filler, the binder leaf which holds the filler together, and a wrapper leaf, which is often the best leaf used. Often the cigar will have a band printed with the cigar manufacturer’s logo. Modern cigars often come with 2 bands, especially Cuban Cigar bands, showing Limited Edition (Edicion Limitada) bands displaying the year of production.
The origins of cigar smoking are still unknown. A Guatemalan ceramic pot dating back to the tenth century features Mayan smoking tobacco leaves tied together with a string.
We could also talk about how Columbus brought back tobacco products to Europe; but we’ll let you handle that bit of research…the real point, it’s been going on for a long-ass-time.
Lets get personnel
It’s time to point the barrel of this question right at my head…let’s get singular, why do I smoke cigars, me, this kid, this guy…”because I freakin love em” lol. Ok seriously, I have my reasons and justifications: (1) a decent cigar takes me from 45 minutes to an hour to finish which in-turn guarantees me an hour for myself (2) it’s ritualistic in it’s preparation…the way you cut your cigar, the way you light your cigar pretty much remain consistent (3) your smoking environment is for the most part of your choosing. These are things that very much appeal to me, and most of the enthusiasts that I know.
In the beginning it’s about developing your palette and figuring out your tolerances, learning the differences of mild, medium, and bold, the differences of smoking before or after a meal…do you like scotch, rum or wine with your smoke; or just pounding some beer with it. Depending on what I’m smoking , and when i’m smoking will influence what I’m choosing to drink (if at all).
Having a cigar for me is like being on a short vacation, some of my most clear and lucid thinking has been achieved, while I’ve been on holiday; in and out of the country, and for the short respites’ I enjoy while enjoying my favorite cigars. Because of the cigar I enjoy the friendship of people that I would have never met, relationships that have enriched my life. Different politics, religion, races, gender, economic backgrounds are all transcended for that hour…while I’ve given you a lot to digest for my reasons; it barely scratches the surface.
If you’ve noticed, I haven’t mentioned anything about taste and flavor…this thing is so much more than that. It’s a lifestyle.
Habanos cigar lounge Atlanta, GA (Castleberry Hill)
In one of Atlanta’s hot and creative areas you’ll find one of it’s anchors…Habanos cigar lounge, located in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood.
Google describes the area “Castleberry Hill is an industrial area turned trendy, with residential lofts and indie art galleries in old warehouses. The neighborhood is also a popular filming location, and walking tours take in sites like The Gulch, a derelict space often used in major TV shows and movies. The casual, eclectic dining scene encompasses everything from Southern soul food and hearty Mexican to creative sushi”
Habanos cigar lounge is classic and industrial just like the neighborhood that it reps; exposed brick and ceilings of extreme height, hardwood planks under your feet and a beautiful bar that’s long and encompassing, texture, check, atmosphere, check, sensations and libations, double check…you want it they got it !
Dona Mathews, and her husband Michael Paul, along with business partner Karl Booker are the owners of Habanos cigar lounge. They have been open since November 2016 and have worked their way into most cigar conversations here in the ATL. I first visited this spot about a year and a half ago for the first time and liked it right away, Micheal made my wife and I feel right at home, and ditto for the friends I would bring on following visits.
Most recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the shop with Dona…not only is she part owner, budding tobacconist and equal manager; but she’s also the resident marketer. The social media presence the lounge enjoys is a direct result of her hard work, she gets it done in a male dominated industry. Also the heavily influenced Bombay decor is something she is really proud of.
The cigar smoking here is given the respect it deserves, the staff is trained to clip and light your cigar, and the leather couches call for you to sit and enjoy. There’s room for a decent amount of people, and when busy, you can still communicate with friends without yelling. The humidor while not super expansive, still offers-up some pretty nice sticks…on my most recent visit i tried one of their house cigars, it was a medium-bodied Nicaraguan creation that could hold it’s own with most $10.00 sticks, well done ! As a cigar smoker I’m usually most interested in the cigar variety and smoking environment available; but this place enjoys a well deserved reputation for it’s drinks, libations, cocktails, lot’s of people walk in and place their drink order first, and then their favorite stick (i’m the exact opposite…lol). All things considered, this place is really what’s missing from most up-and-coming trendy areas…it’s not overdone, it’s not pretentious, it’s not lacking in the many ways one might think when considering a spot like this, it checks the boxes and crosses the T’s.
So the next time you venture up or down from the burbs’ check out Habanos cigar lounge…look up Michael and Dona, grab a stick and have one of their hot drink concoctions ; and maybe bring Michael a “Rocky Patel Vintage 1999” , I hear it’s one of his favorites.
Some enter into a business with intent. Others are surprised to discover that a talent, product or skill set coupled with a personal passion turned out to be something that they can make a living from. That was the case for Daniel Marshall, a renowned humidor maker who also has his own cigar lines.
Marshall’s desire to build things by hand came from his dream to build a sailboat that would allow him to sail around the world—a dream he’s had since he was 10 years old. He entered into the world of cigars unintentionally, after setting out to make a thank-you gift for his girlfriend’s grandfather. Marshall wanted to make her grandfather something he could store his favorite cigars—Dunhill Monte Cruz 280 Panatelas—inside. He ended up creating a cigar case made of teak wood and presenting it as a gift. Impressed with the quality of the case, his girlfriend’s grandfather told him that he was sure that Dunhill would buy the case and that Marshall would be able to use the money he earned to build his dream sailboat. This launched Marshall into the humidor business and world of cigars full time. Tobacco Business recently sat down with Marshall to discuss how he built his brand and get his take on how you can build your own impressive following and notoriety.
Tobacco Business: Tell us about the first humidor you built. Daniel Marshall: It was an Alfred Dunhill humidor with a bottle of Dunhill Whisky inside. Dunhill said if I could replicate it, they would give me an order. I did that, and in two weeks, I had a purchase order for $250,000 from Dunhill for more humidors. Next, I set up a humidor factory in Santa Ana, California. That was back in 1982, more than three and a half decades ago.
Your humidors and your cigars have an impressive following that includes celebrities, politicians and other affluent figures. How can other accessory and cigar makers go about building a following for their brands?
Three words: quality, commitment and trust. Do exceptional work with heart, and those who appreciate the best of the best and can afford the top quality will know about you and seek you out. There is a saying: “Build it and they will come.” This is how it works.
You’ve done a few collaborations with other brands and celebrities. How do you choose who to collaborate with so that it’s beneficial to your brand?
I choose to collaborate with anyone by identifying shared common values and loves. I am excited to do charitable work for the environment and to help children become all that they can be.
It was a great honor and privilege to be chosen by Universal Studios to make a humidor to commemorate the Blu-ray release of one of its most well-known films, Scarface; to be chosen by Hennessy to make 800 humidors for their XO product; and to work with Bally of Switzerland on 500 humidor/presentation boxes for their bespoke shoe collection called the Scribe [collection]. All of us share the same commitment to quality, luxury and creating the benchmark of quality.
In addition to humidors, you have your own branded cigars: the Red Label and the 24kt Golden Torpedo. What made you decide to expand your brand by launching your own cigars?
Twenty-one years ago, customers and store owners would ask me, “Marshall, you make the best humidors in the world—where are your cigars? We trust you for making humidors, and we would trust you to be as fanatical with a cigar blend and creating one as you are with your humidors.”
So again, trust was essential and the reason for making a cigar. The challenge was to make a cigar with one of the world’s top cigar makers during the height of the cigar boom in 1996. It was something that could only happen with a strong friendship in place. Manuel Quesada created a cigar for our brand because of our friendship and because of trust.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?
I have learned that to have a successful business and life, you have to enjoy and love it all. I enjoy all aspects of it—from the administrative aspects of our company, to working with my wonderful team in the factory getting covered in dust, designing humidors and creating all kinds of new humidor and cigar collections, to answering these thought-provoking questions that take me back through the past 35 years of my life, to enjoying cigars with our global family around the world.
– Story by Antoine Reid
This story first appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know…even though we pretend that we know ! The art of cigar smoking is no exception.
What to drink with your cigar
how to clip your cigar
how to light your cigar
These are all questions that we are sometimes afraid or embarrassed to ask…enjoying your favorite cigar should be just that; enjoyment not uncertainty.
According to CigarAficionado.com , Mr Richard Overton the oldest man in the United Staes passed away after reaching the age of 112 years. I find this to be really amazing because of his recipe for long life, that included smoking cigars on a daily basis. “I smoke 12 a day,” he told Cigar Aficionado in 2015, when he was 109 years old. “But I don’t inhale them. It’s the good taste. Let your lungs stay clean.” Mr Overton was a veteran of the second world war, he remained active for most of his life and appearing younger than his many years. Mr Overton, was a resident of East Austin Texas, Mr Overton, passed away two days after Christmas after a short battle with Pneumonia.
Mr Overton, began smoking cigars more than 94 years ago, his favorite smoke was a inexpensive machine-made brand called Tampa Sweet.
When Cigar Aficionado interviewed Overton in 2015, he shared some of his tips for a long life. “You’ve got to stir around a lot. Your muscles get dry, your blood gets slow. You need to get up and move around,” he said. “If you keep your muscles sluggish, it slows your blood down.”
Overton was born on May 11, 1906 in the modest farming community of St. Mary’s Colony, Texas. Back then many cars were propelled by steam power, the U.S. had only 45 states and man had only flown for three years. World War II saw Overton drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served from 1942 through 1945, fighting for the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion. He saw action in the South Pacific, including the ferocious battlefield of Iwo Jima. “I lost a lot of my friends,” he said back in 2015.
After the war, Overton was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant. He returned to his job at a furniture store and built his own home in East Austin. He married twice, outlived both of his wives and never had children.
Overton was a man of habit, and in his later years he could be found on his front porch in Austin, smoking his cigars and sometimes sipping a bit of whisky. “It’s like medicine,” he said of the liquor. Back in 2015, on his 109th birthday, Overton rose at 3 am, brewed a pot of coffee and went out to his front porch. He lit the first of his cigars, and began sipping and puffing. Just a typical day for Overton.
“Today we mourn the loss of this legendary American hero,” wrote Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Twitter Thursday evening. “May he Rest In Peace.”
Overton is survived by his cousin, Volma Overton Jr.
The forbidden and sometimes elusive, often misunderstood prized export from the small island nation south of Miami, the Cuban cigar. The Cuban cigar is by far the most talked about stick, by regular and casual smokers alike, the holy grail of all cigars.
Because of the tired U.S. embargo against Cuba, you can’t just stroll over to your local tobacconist and grab a box; but not to worry…there are amazing choices of non-cuban cigars from lots of places (Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, etc) some just as flavorful and well made as their Cuban counter parts.
My suggestion; don’t be afraid to try different cigars from different countries, that way…if one day you’re lucky enough to procure one of those Cuban beauties, you’ll have something to judge them against, and know if it’s right for your smoking pallet. Happy hunting !
Welcome to ThinkCigar, my blog about cigar lifestyle. Together we will explore, expand, and connect as we celebrate our love of these wonderful leafs that bring us together. We’ll explore:
Accessories
Cigar humidors
Top rated cigars
Cigars for beginners
Cuban Cigars
And much more
Cigar smoking is a social, relaxing and sometimes spiritual pursuit, it influences your friendships and the places you frequent, topics discussed when in the company of other aficionados.
Strap-in and hold on, clip one of the sticks in your humidor, slide your favorite libation to a comfortable location, toast the foot of that stick and enjoy an easy draw…how relaxing is that ? Welcome to ThinkCigar.
