Happy Holidays everyone. It has been a spectacular year here at Stogie Press. Growth in viewership, subscriptions, and social media “likes” have excelled beyond our expectations. We would like to thank all our readers for their support. We have also gained additional sponsorship along the journey and thank our sponsors for supporting us, we know you have a choice as to how to spend your marketing dollars and appreciate that you have chosen to advertise in Stogie Press.
As a cap to the year we were invited to be part of the prestigious Cigar Media Association (CMA) this past week which is quite an honor and recognition of the hard work of doing quality reviews and lifestyle articles that bring the message of cigar enjoyment to the world. We plan to be actively involved in the coming year.
This months issue of Stogie Press is dedicated to the passionate and hard-working boutique cigar brands in the market place and you can read our article on this along with the announcement of the 1st 5 boutique brands that made the cut for our 2015 Top 25 boutique cigars. Congratulations to them. The remaining 20 will be announced over the next few weeks and the final breakdown will be released on Jan 1st.
We have been keeping a close eye on the workings at the FDA and have provided a recap for you on the deeming regulations. Our Government moves at a snail’s pace and they are keeping everyone in the business at bay. This is proving to be difficult for businesses in making plans for growth and hopefully we will know the results very soon. In the meantime, reach-out to your representatives and call the new Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and express your concerns, it just may make a difference in keeping premium cigars exempt from these regulations.
We had some fun writing our latest cigar pairing article this month. We featured liqueurs as the beverage of choice. Check it out and maybe add some new flavor sensations to your smoking experience.
The Stogie Press crew attended the Corona Cigars – Cigars and Cars event – this past month and we had such a good time that we felt inclined to tell you about it. Read the article and relive an evening of Cigars, Cars, Whisky, Food and music. This is one of the many events that cigar smokers enjoy here in the sunshine state.
Of course the holiday season would not be as much fun if there were not gifts to be had. So we decided to have another cigar giveaway and this time we want to see your best ash of your favorite boutique brand. The rules of the contest are laid out in the contest article.
Have a very Happy Holiday and Prosperous New Year.
Stay Safe and Smokey
James (Boston Jimmie) Vita