Cigar Museum to Open in the Hamptons on Long Island

 

 

I would like to introduce you to Mr. Larry Jit, a man with a passion and love for cigars. Larry is the Creator/CEO at DubaiCigarFestival.com  and Founder & CEO at Hamptons Cigar Company. Born and raised in New York City, Larry has such a penchant for the leaf that he holds Guinness World Book record for smoking 75 cigars over 35 consecutive days – 25th of December 2015 to February 3rd, 2016 – meeting 1,000 people face-to-face in Dubai to spread the gospel of cigars. Well maybe not a real Guinness record but a self-described Facebook accomplishment.

If you ask Larry what a perfect Sunday morning is he would say reading the New York Times and smoking cigars.

Larry describes his life as “Bellisimo”.  His idol is Gahndi and his biggest pet peave is lateness. If ever stranded on a deserted island, the two things he would want is an endless supply of cigars and beautiful lady.

Larry recently contacted me to discuss his latest project, the Hamptons Cigar Manufactory & Museum.

The first phase of this has been completed in that he has developed and branded his 1st premium cigar; Segar Enigma of Sag Harbor which is  produced in the Dominican Republic. It is a 6.5 x 54 Double Robusto with a Connecticut wrapper and Dominican Filler and Binders. It is described as a medium body smoke and are packaged in a latched top barrel instead of a traditional box. Pretty cool eh?

There will be 4 other cigars added to the line-up:

• Southampton, a robusto
• Bridgehampton, a box pressed
• East Hampton, a churchill
• Montauk, a torpedo – to be produced in Nicaragua.

Do you see the theme here? Yes Larry is paying tribute the 19th century cigar manufacturing on the east end of Long Island, NY.

Now I was born and raised on Long Island, smoked my first cigar in Brooklyn, NY at the wee age of 18, and until I heard from Larry, I did not know of the cigar history on the Island. I mean I knew there were factories in NYC,  but after doing my own research, Larry hit a sweet spot. My own Great Aunt Marie lived in Sag Harbor and I can recall driving out there with the family in the summer to enjoy this iconic Long Island town, so having a place to go and enjoy a cigar when I visit is a big plus.

As far as the museum, Larry has collected some 500 artifacts, and is convinced that a cigar museum, store and smoking lounge will be able to draw a large enough clientele to survive. If you appreciate the complete cigar culture including vintage wrappers and boxes, humidors and even cigar-making machines, then Larry will have the place for you.

As noted on the Facebook page for the museum:

The cigar is recreated from the 1870s when a local Sag Harbor resident, Mr Joseph Freudenthal, operated a cigar factory in the Huntting Building at the foot of Main Street across from the Post Office, where he employed 75 people, making 70,000 cigars each week, grossing over $100,000 per year.

Mr Freudenthal created a special blend from Virginia and Cuban tobacco, called the “Enigma Segar” which he named after the Enigma Club of 1869 where “…only unmarried white males of good moral character, in sound and body, and at least 21 years of age were eligible for membership…

Kudos to Larry for bringing back the cigar culture to the Hamptons. The next time I am visiting family in Long Island I will make it my business to visit with Larry and see how things are moving along.

 

Phone: 917-348-0994

Email: [email protected].

Facebook: CigarDaddie