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Discussion: Cigar Lounges

Discussion: Cigar Lounges

Happy Tuesday, folks! 

These days, my cigar lounge consists of a fold up chair and a ladder on top of a shipping container. It’s my little get away spot that I’m temporarily calling home, but I can’t wait to get back to a real cigar lounge!  

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A CIGAR LOUNGE? 

Myself, the first thing I look for is atmosphere.  Some lounges have it and others don’t.  Usually I’m hoping for either a pleasant owner or pleasant patrons to pick out a cigar and a chair.  And it’s amazing how this can be assessed within minutes of entering the doors of an establishment.  

The real magic is when both the house and patrons create a welcoming environment together. 

The next thing I do might be trivial, but I always like to note the placement of the humidor door and humidifier.  Regardless of what's available near the door or humidifier, I try and make a choice of what's in the center between the two.  

The last and final thing that I look for is airflow.  I’ve had extremely dry eyes following my PRK surgery a few years back, and lingering smoke directly impacts my ability to burn more than a corona indoors.  Luckily, I’ve only had to leave a lounge with poor airflow a handful of times as it’s almost a minimum requirement for success.  

If I was in an area with multiple lounges, I used to care more about the selection than I do nowadays.  Thanks to Small Batch, I have a great assortment available to me 24/7.  When I go to a cigar lounge, I'm going for the experience - and I can find a way to have a great time with any selection I've ever seen in person. 

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One of the comments below will win a $25 gift card.  The gift card will automatically be sent to the email address that you login to comment with, so please use your regular sign-in.   

I’ll be randomly selecting a comment below this Sunday before sending out the Weekly Newsletter. The winner can expect a comment with his or her name in it, a congratulations email, and an email with the $25 gift card information.  The actual gift card email takes some time to generate from the system and may lag behind by a couple hours. 

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Comments

2/5/2019 2:06 AM
I don’t go to lounges too often cause I prefer the comfort of my own garage or yard and I do most of my smoking alone. However,  I do meet a college friend once a month at a lounge that equidistant for us. When we go to a lounge we look for:
1. A great selection of cigars
2. A friendly atmosphere
3. Good ventilation or airflow (I just stuffed up when I’m around too much smoke closed in)
4. And probably the most important... a table so we can play cards while we smoke and talk.
2/5/2019 6:09 AM
I like to occasionally hang out at my local cigar lounge, but also venture out of the home turf sometimes. The first thing I look for is a welcoming atmosphere. The second would be a good selection of cigars. The third would be good ventilation and airflow. My local lounge does not have this. But it is nice not having to go home and wash everything you have on to keep from suffocating. Wifi or a place to set a laptop or tablet is also important. I like to occupy my mind while smoking, so this helps.
2/5/2019 6:21 AM
I agree with other commenters that a friendly and welcoming atmosphere is the most important. Second would be a good cigar selection. Third would be that it looks nice. There are some nasty-looking cigar bars around me, and I don't like to go there. It doesn't have to be impressively beautiful, it just needs to not be ugly.

The staff and other patrons are really the thing that keeps me coming back to one shop instead of another, though.
2/5/2019 7:36 AM
I look for the following characteristics at a cigar lounge:
- comfy seating
- wide selection (love trying new cigars in singles before committing to a larger purchase)
- knowledgeable employees
- good circulation (Rabbit Air for example)
2/5/2019 8:55 AM
Comfortable chairs, good air circulation, and positive atmosphere are just a few things I look for.
2/5/2019 10:42 AM
Ditto on the good circulation and comfortable chairs.  Everything else to me is a bonus.
2/5/2019 6:39 PM
Denver has a pretty good selection of lounges. For me, the best ones have the following:
A good group of friendly folks to socialize with,
Proper air circulation/ventilation,
An extensive cigar selection, properly humidified of course,
A good shop in general, with owners and staff that make me want to return,
An all around comfortable environment.

Bonus points for a bar or at least a cooler, offering refreshments to be purchased and enjoyed while having that fine premium cigar!

CHEERS!
2/6/2019 8:53 AM
Atmosphere is important, but it's a combo of things that make a cigar lounge great.  Growing up in Boston, stanza dei sigari in Boston's North End is certainly a favorite. There's multiple rooms, and many nooks and crannies to lounge. There's both privacy and a feeling of openness. The air ventilation is great and not noticeable which is a huge plus.

Having a solid whiskey and beer list is super important. If the cigar options aren't great you can always bring your own, but places in Boston are not BYOB.

Above all however is the neighborhood. The ability to get a slice of pizza or espresso near by, or just wander the neighborhood after is a great plus. There's something about hopping in a car and driving away that just doesn't feel right after enjoying a cigar.
2/6/2019 11:27 AM
I travel a LOT.  And I really get to see more than my fair share of Cigar Lounges around the country.  I also belong to a few.  For me, it really comes down to comfortable seating, great ventilation and a room with some atmosphere.  But, many cigar lounges today are designed like airport lounges, and the seating is arranged more for privacy.  I prefer a lounge where the seating is arranged for interaction with another fellow cigar smoker.  I find a cigar lounge as a wonderful place to meet other fine folks either when I'm on the road, or at home.  Some of the best conversations I have are around a good cigar.  That's sort of the point right? So for me, if a lounge is trying to separate the customers, I'm not so apt to stay long.  Nor will I hang there too long if the chairs are uncomfortable or if my eyes start to burn.  Life is far too short for bad cigars and uncomfortable cigar lounges.
2/6/2019 12:53 PM
-Comfy chairs
-Good air circulation
-TVs that are not blaring so you can enjoy a book
if you want
2/6/2019 3:38 PM
I was in a lounge for the 1st time on Sunday. It had nice chairs and a nice bar. The barkeep was attentive and showed me to the cigars. He clipped it and I was on my way to getting a drink. The ventilation was great and my oldest daughter said it smelled nice. Now that's a cigar lounge.
2/6/2019 10:45 PM
ventilation, comfy seating, a tv, and booze
2/8/2019 5:08 AM
There are three main things I look for when I'm looking for a lounge. First of all they need at least a decent selection, a good crowd to sit and talk with, and an actual lounge area to sit. I don't know how many times I've walked into a "lounge" to find they just have a few cases filled with macanudo and gurkha, or a lounge area that's just a few chairs inside the humidor. The most important thing for me though is the crowd because there is just two reasons why I go to the lounge: to get out of the cold or to converse with fellow cigar lovers. Whats the point of going to a lounge with a lousy crowd when you could of done the same thing at home? At least that is what I think. I'm sure people's opinions vary based on where in the country they are located or what kind of living space they have, but interesting nonetheless.
2/8/2019 3:32 PM
I only have experience with two lounges so far. Both drastically different as one has to charge a fee as its a "private club" which is waived if you spend a certain amount on cigars. They cannot sell liquor or food but you can bring your own. Walk in humidor. Nice chairs...if a little dark. Good air flow
2nd was on Native American land. Very large walk in humidor, great prices, food and drinks on site. Great prices on drinks and the servers were attentive if you might want another cigar or refills. Great seats but any special event led to too many people and the air quality suffered to the point where good cigars became blah.

Overall I am looking for great airflow, good selection of cigars, good groups of customers, knowledgable staff and good drinks
2/10/2019 5:39 PM
Congrats to Derek and thanks everyone for joining the discussion!