How to Start a Cigar Club
Cigar smokers stick together. When you appreciate the taste and aroma of a premium cigar, it’s easy to form a bond with other cigar lovers. I’ve witnessed fellow aficionados put their differences aside and become the best of friends on tons of occasions thanks to cigars. Smoking cigars encourages us to slow down, enjoy the moment, and listen to one another. So, why not start a cigar club and foster your love of cigars with good friends? Cigar subscriptions make sense too, when you simply want to get a fresh batch of cigars sent to your doorstep every month. Here’s a few strategies to get your buddies inspired to smoke with you.
How to Start a Cigar Club
Hang Out in Your Local Cigar Lounge
The best place to meet like-minded cigar lovers is at your local smokeshop or cigar lounge. It takes almost no time to develop a connection when you’re smoking a cigar with someone. Because smoking is so restricted in public places these days, cigar stores and lounges are the last frontiers where we can congregate. This is a great place to recruit cigar connoisseurs for your club and bond over your favorite brands.
Host a Herf
A cigar herf is an informal get-together of fellow cigar lovers. Most herfs are like backyard barbecues where lots of cigars are smoked. If you’re invited to one, go. Or, host a herf of your own to get your cigar club going. A herf can be a small and informal gathering in your man cave or a big event that draws crowds from around the country like Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke in Las Vegas or Cigar Fest in central Pennsylvania, which is sponsored by Cigars International and several of today’s top cigar-makers. If you’ve got good buddies who love cigars as much as you do, but they live far away, you can host a virtual herf too.
Invite Your Pals to Play Poker or Golf
Starting a cigar club doesn’t have to be exclusively about smoking cigars. Playing poker and golf are perfect opportunities to get together and smoke. Combine cigars with other passions you already pursue. If you and your buddies ride motorcycles, pack some cigars in your saddlebags the next time you hit the road. A lot of aficionados love to tool around in their garages. Break out a box of your favorite brand when you’re rebuilding an old V-8. Playing chess, sifting through a stack of vinyl records, and camping, hiking, and hunting are great occasions to bring cigars along.
Trade Cigars
Trade cigars when your buddies come over. If everyone brings one or two extra cigars, exchange your favorites. A cigar club is like a team of tasters whose opinions you can rely on to try new cigars and whom you can impress with the blends you like. Swapping cigars is an excellent way to continually develop your palate. Compare notes with your pals and consider keeping a cigar journal to track the cigars you enjoy the most. There’s strength in numbers. You can tip each other off when a new cigar comes out or an old favorite is smoking really good – an indication you should get a box. Or, consider subscribing to a cigar of the month club, and receive an assortment of new cigars to try on a recurring basis. Monthly cigar clubs often deliver a mix of classic name brands as well as small-batch cigars that fly under the radar.
Get Your Best Buddies to Try Cigars
If you’re struggling to find fellow aficionados within a fifty-mile radius to start your cigar club, enlist rookies. Turn to your immediate friends and family members and introduce them to cigars. A lot of folks possess an aversion to cigars – until they try one. Smoking a good premium brand is essential when you’re first getting into cigars, so stay away from cheap machine-made brands.
Mild and creamy cigars like Ashton Classic and Arturo Fuente Hemingway make great first impressions, especially when they’re paired with a good whiskey, beer, or cocktail. You’ll have no trouble luring members into your cigar club if you set up an at-home bar. You may have to create a waiting list. Because smoking is always more fun in the right company, compatible connoisseurs should be right around the corner when you include the right libations.
