Cigar bar

A cigar bar (or longue) is an establishment that caters to patrons who smoke cigars.

History

While cigar bars have been around for years, interest in them developed in the 1990s when cities and government entities began instituting smoking bans but provided exceptions for establishments that catered to smokers.^[1][2][3]

Features

While some cigar bars permit the smoking of cigarettes, the classic cigar bar focuses strictly on cigars. Many of the upscale cigar bars such as the Grand Havana in Beverly Hills, California and New York City as well as those in Paris, Spain and Germany, create a gentlemen's club ambience with plushly-appointed interiors, sometimes including a piano or pool table. Featured prominently in upscale bars are humidors, even walk-in humidors where people can buy and store cigars for safekeeping in special cigar lockers for individuals.^[4] The bars frequently also serve food and alcohol.

Australia

Cigar bars can be found in all capital cities in Australia and on the Gold Coast, Queensland as well.

Canada

During the 2000s, many of Canada's cities banned smoking in indoor public places, however these bans came with an exception for non-cigarette smoking such as hookah or cigars. In 2006, when such a ban came into place in Montreal, all cigar bars opened before May 10, 2005 were allowed to stay in operation, though future establishments were banned.^[5] There are also cigar lounges in Gatineau, Quebec.^[6]

United States

The only two cigar bars in Major League Baseball are the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Camacho Cigar Bar at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Cuesta-Rey cigars originally were made in Tampa, while Camacho cigars are distributed in Miami.

In the United States the Private Smoking Club in Cincinnati, Ohio claims to be first cigar bar opening in 1995.^[7]

See also

• List of public house topics

References

1. Cigar Sensibilities by Roy Stein - Cigarfriendly.com
2. "The Cigar Bar". Rapid Detect. Rapid Detect Inc. March 27, 1997. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
3. Directory of Post-Ban Cigar Bars - CigarPlaces.com
4. The Age, "The cigar bar makes a comeback" article, 28 December 2010
5. "Cigar bar owners puffed up with glee as butt ban nears". Montreal Gazette. May 23, 2006. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
6. Jennifer Cox (February 6, 2012). "Top 7 Canadian cigar lounges and shops". Crave Canada. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
7. Private Smoking Club Google Answers

External links

The Age, "The cigar bar makes a comeback", article, December 28, 2010
The Age, "Cigar bar rebel gets let off on defiant smoke signals", article by Steve Butcher, December 28, 2010