OK… A cigar shop is A LOT more than just a place to buy cigars.

Nowadays there are so many options when it comes to buying cigars.  From online retailers to catalogues and brick and mortar shops; It’s not as hard as it once was to find new cigars or hard-to-find or rare cigars you’ve always wanted to get your hands on.  Buying cigars though, is just a small part of cigars and if you never go into your local shop then there is a lot you are missing out on.

The Humidor

When I first started getting into cigars a cigar shop was the only option to buy cigars.  I am thankful for that because I was able to take in a lot more that I might have missed out on by just ordering them and having them delivered to my door. Still to this day, one of my favorite aspects of cigars is going into walk-in humidor -opening the door and feeling the warm humid air hit me as I walk in.  It’s overwhelming, like walking into a different world.  The smells of tobacco and cedar engulf the senses. It’s captivating.

Standing in a room that was wall to wall boxes of cigars was a great place to be and I could stay in there for long periods of time looking around at all the different brands, the artwork and discovering things I hadn’t seen before.  It took a while to appreciate the flavor and aromas that each cigar offered, but eventually I learned what I liked and discovered what my palate was as time went by.  Being persistent pays off.  I loved spending time in any humidor, and still do.

Zaid Ied Tobacco Plus Matteson, IL

The Tobacconist

I must have been a pain in the ass back then.  My local hometown shop was Tobacco Plus in Matteson, IL.  I don’t know how Firas and Zaid (owners) tolerated me.  But their patience with me was what let me see and experience cigars firsthand.  I was one of those people who would stay inside the humidor for hours looking at all of the different bands and packaging, picking up every cigar and looking it over like I knew what I was doing.  I just wanted to soak it all up.

I remember thinking that I knew what I was doing.  I read the books, I saw the pictures.  Sure, I read what a great cigar is supposed to be and what the great cigars were, but I was missing the most important aspect of learning: firsthand experience.  Little did I know how much there was to learn and what a beginner I really was.   I was a customer, a newbie and Zaid and Firas didn’t just treat me with respect, they did it with open arms.  They would talk to me about my experience, suggest brands that I might like and just feed my enthusiasm.  They’d invite me to sit and smoke with their lounge members and just hang out.  I love the fact that I can go back there now whenever I get a chance and visit.  I don’t think I would have had that much patience with myself.  I spent so much time in there that they actually offered me a job stocking shelves.  If it weren’t for the patience and time that my local retail cigar shop had given me, I probably wouldn’t love this industry so much.

Twin’s Smoke Shop Lounge

Shop Culture

A cigar shop lounge is probably one of the most unique places in that you hang your social status on the coat rack when you walk in.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a garbage man, lawyer, Doctor, starving artist… all walks of life come together and socialize over cigars.  I have made so many friends and have had great experiences because of cigars.  I can’t imagine not going to cigar lounges.  If someone is just getting into cigars, even if they primarily buy them online – I would recommend checking out a local lounge, buy a cigar there and hang out.  There is a lot to learn from people who have been at this for a long time.  Even if you aren’t talking about cigars, you’ll find common ground with people you may not have ever met before because of your shared interest in this hobby.  No matter what experience level someone has, cigar shops are welcoming to everyone and can really become a home away from home.