Every year in December cigar enthusiasts from all over the United States land in Ybor City, Florida otherwise known as Cigar City USA – the historical cigar capital of the United States, to celebrate the cigar lifestyle and culture. I’ve been to the festival several times and this year the festival rights were acquired by Read more about Cigar Lifestyle: 2022 Cigar Heritage Festival – Ybor City[…]
Since the first cigar factory opened in Tampa in 1886, hundreds of thousands of people have worked hard to roll the best cigars in the world. As a handcrafted, labor-intensive product, cigars are difficult to roll well, and one mistake will ruin a cigar. It is because of the hard work, dedication, and craftsmanship of Read more about Cigar News: J.C. Newman Cigar Co., Mayor Jane Castor, and Congresswoman Kathy Castor to Break Ground on Cigar Workers Park on Nov 18[…]
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. maintains a tradition of hand-rolling cigars going back to its founding in 1895. Now, we invite guests, cigar aficionados and cigar novices alike, to participate in the same hand-rolling experience. With guidance from one of our master cigarmakers, roll five cigars you can take home with you. This experience takes place Read more about Cigar News: J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Offers Class in Hand Rolling Cigars[…]
I recently put out a press release about Cigar International and the elimination of their annual CigarFest mega herf. The annual CigarFest was an event that sold out almost immediately and brought brothers and sisters of the leaf together from around the country to celebrate the cigar culture. This year, the company decided they would Read more about Cigar Lifestyle: Mega Herfs You May Want to Attend[…]
During my visit the other week to the Ybor City Cigar Heritage Festival, I took the time to swing over to the newest lounge in the area – Grand Cathedral Cigars. The lounge is the brain child of Angela Yue, who as some may know, is not new to owning and operating cigar lounges. She Read more about Cigar Lounge: Grand Cathedral Cigars – Tampa Heights, Florida[…]
Why has is it been a number of years since I ventured over to Ybor City, Florida? I know it is just a 2 hour jaunt from the Stogie Press office, but I just have been so busy that when I want to go, something seems to pop in my life and put the visit Read more about Cigar Lifestyle: 2021 Ybor City Heritage Cigar Festival[…]
The organizers of the 2021 Southern Smoke event have announced the event that was scheduled for this coming October in Ybor City is being postponed due to concerns of the COVID-19 Delta Variant. The organization has put out the following press release explaining the details.
Another year and a new congress takes hold as we once again take the fight to exempt premium cigars from FDA regulations. Back in July of 2018, Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fl took to the Senate floor to fight for the premium cigar industry and co-sponored a bill, with then Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla, to free Read more about Cigar News: Senator Rubio Takes Another Shot for the Cigar Industry[…]
A couple of months ago I introduced you to the fine craft of Odelma Matos and her boutique cigar shop/factory, La Faraona Cigars in Ybor City, FL. That was the review of their Dala Cigar which I described as a “magnificent smoke with a balanced set of palate pleasing notes and aromas“. Today, I have the pleasure Read more about La Faraona Connecticut Double Robusto Cigar Review – A Beautiful Blonde for Sure[…]
A number of years ago, my wife and I took a trip over to Ybor City, Florida to write an article on this iconic American cigar town. The main street of the city, La Septima, is dotted with a multitude of cigar shops and small factories, one of which is La Faraona Cigars. The shop/factory Read more about La Faraona Dala Cigar Review[…]
One of the many fine Cigar Men i met at this years IPCPR was Dave Cribbin the owner of a small boutique cigar company known as Rolling Thunder Cigars. If you talk to Dave he is passionate about cigars and is quick to note: “Before founding Rolling Thunder Cigars I literally smoked my way through Read more about Rolling Thunder 50 Cal Cigar Review – Locked and Loaded[…]
He re-established his factory there, hiring many of the Cuban refugees who had also fled Cuba, and started making his popular “Principe de Gales” line. Key West, however, was not an ideal location for his factory. There were many issues such as shipping to the mainland, conflicts between Spanish and Cuban workers & ready accessibility Read more about History of Ybor City[…]
If you are a cigar lover and I know you are because you are reading this article, then you need to make a trek to Florida’s Ybor City. Founded by Vicente Martinez-Ybor in 1885 as a cigar-manufacturing center, Ybor City today is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. Ybor City is Read more about Strolling La Septima[…]