Ask any avid cigar smoker what they think is the best occasion to light-up and they’ll probably say, “Who needs an occasion?” It’s true, most cigar smokers don’t need a reason to partake. However, there are times when certain occasions practically beg for a cigar, especially if you’re not the habitual everyday cigar smoker type. After all, no matter when or where we smoke our cigars the goal is always the same—to attain relaxation and pleasure. So, as we trek through the following best occasions to smoke cigars, I hope it will jog memories of the cigar smoking occasions you’ve enjoyed most.
#1 Best Occasions to Smoke Cigars: End Of The Day Relaxation Work days come with their own particular flavor of stress. From your daily commute to and from the office (if you still even do it) like getting stuck behind someone who drives at the exact speed limit, to having to redo an entire sales presentation because you forgot to enable AutoSave, to causing an IT emergency because you mistakenly opened a virus studded email. Any one of those things would make you want to reach for the whiskey bottle, not to mention a cigar. Yet even if your day went pretty smoothly, sitting down with one of your favorite cigars and a good drink is one of the best ways to shake the dust off a long day. When I can’t wait until after dinner, I’ll light-up something with a medium-body, a nutty-woody flavor profile, and a creamy delivery like an Oliva Serie O. For after dinner I’ll choose a cigar with a little more body, complexity, and refinement like an EPC Pledge. Whatever you prefer, when it comes to a well-deserved escape from the daily grind a good cigar is the perfect get-away car.
#2 Best Occasions to Smoke Cigars: Celebrations When it comes to celebrations cigars are king. A new baby is one of the first things that comes to mind since sharing the leaf is a cultural tradition. Did you know that at one time about-to-be Dads actually smoked in the hospital waiting room? Although it would be unheard of today the tradition of celebrating a birth with a cigar is still going strong.
Weddings are also cause to light-up celebration cigars. They were traditionally handed out until catering halls, hotels, and restaurants banned smoking. That doesn’t mean weddings are off-limits. A lot of weddings are held outdoors or on a beach somewhere, which gives you a reason to bring some Padróns with you.
As far as sports victories go, cigars have become commonplace for championship winners, even women’s hockey teams. And during a recent phone conversation I had with Nestor Plasencia, he couldn’t get over that the Denver Nuggets were smoking Plasencia Alma Fuerte cigars after taking the 2023 NBA Championship.
As far as bachelor parties go, you probably won’t be able to smoke in a strip club these days, but how about before or after the strip club? I’ve seen several bachelor parties being held in our own cigar lounge. What’s better than hanging out with your best buds accompanied by some good whiskey and cigars? That’s sure to loosen you up for just about anything.
I don’t smoke in my car all that often, but if I had a convertible, I’d probably do it all the time. That said, perhaps the best time to light up in the car is when you’ve got a long ride ahead of you. In fact, I almost always bring a cigar with me in case I run into a traffic jam. Believe me, it can come in very handy. I often have a cigar on the way to pick-up or after dropping-off my son at his college which is about an hour and fifteen away. When the weather is fair and the highway is clear, listening to your favorite tunes makes the journey even better. One of my favorite driving tunes is Freeway Jam by Jeff Beck, which I think was actually written for driving. Otherwise, it’s Latin Jazz all the way. For the cigar, I usually bring something that’s not too pricey and will stand up to the elements, most especially the wind. A sweet-spicy maduro with a thick wrapper like the El Suelo Terreno has been reliable choice for me on the road.
One of the best things about being a cigar smoker is the opportunity to share the experience not just with friends but with others who share a love of the leaf. Herfs are great since you’re not only enjoying cigars as a group, but often times herf members will share or trade cigars with you. For the last several years, I’ve been doing a weekly herf via Zoom with a group of fellow smokers from California. We’ve also done some swapping, and I’ve made some excellent discoveries like the Rocky Patel Royale, for example.
Cigar bars and lounges are also great places to meet other cigar smokers. It’s amazing how a simple cigar can bring people together from all walks of life; rich, not so rich, ethnicity, occupation, etc. In the cigar bar all men—and women—are created equal, and you never know who you’re gonna meet. Yet one thing’s for sure, we all love our cigars, and what better situation to relax and shoot the breeze on almost any subject except maybe politics. And as the sign says in the lounge I frequent most often: Leave Your Drama Outside.
Hanging out in the parking lot with fellow fans along with beers, eats, and cigars before the game tailgating has become another American pastime. A good bundle brand like the Famous Nicaraguan 3000 is a smart choice, because it’s likely that you’ll be sharing some of your stogies with other tailgaters. For something a little more medium-bodied check out the E By Espinosa bundles.
Since smoking indoors is banned just about everywhere these days, thankfully we still have the great outdoors to partake of our beloved handmades. Golf certainly ranks up there with the best occasions, since it’s a relaxing game (at least that’s what I’m told contrary to what I’ve witnessed), and a good golf cigar can help you keep your cool as you try to sink that double bogey.
Fishing and camping share a lot in common since you’re usually far from home and among nature’s most ideal locales. I’ve always found fishing one of the most relaxing, even meditative activities. The slow roll of the boat on the water, the squawking of birds breaking the silence, there’s nothing like a good cigar to make the experience even more peaceful.
The same goes for camping, preferably at night before a crackling fire with family or friends; maybe a few s’mores. One cigar that’s pretty much tailor-made for such an experience is the Southern Draw Manzanita.
As for the beach, it seems that most beaches no longer permit smoking, which I always thought was ridiculous since it’s usually breezy down the shore as us Jerseyites say. Before the ban, the beach was one of my most looked forward to places to light up a trusty Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown or a Fuente Hemingway. Even if you can’t smoke on the beach, if there’s a boardwalk nearby, odds are you’ll be able to smoke there like a good cigar-smoking friend of mine enjoys doing in Atlantic City.
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May you always find a good occasion to enjoy one of your favorite cigars, be it special or otherwise. If I’ve noted some suggestions that spark your interest, so much the better because sometimes a best occasion is just a cigar.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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Excellent article. I was at a softball game and one of the players on the team I knew and was rooting for complained about it. You always get that one asshole who complains. The guy looked like Jeb Bush and Hank Hill from King of the Hill.
I swear, everybody needs to calm down about cigars. Air pollution is worse to breathe in than cigar smoke. Smoking should be allowed at all beaches. It’s outside for Pete’s sake.
Hell I can’t even sit on my front porch after work and have a cigar whithout some nosey little See You Next Tuesday walking past covering her mouth and coughing loudly. I fnally told her to cross the street if it bothered her so much.
Best location – bathroom, natural deordorizer
Worst – oxygen tent, nuff said
Fun read, but I would put cigar get-togethers as number one because it is the most fun. End of day, or weekend, recovery is great but there’s nothing like having some laughs with other cigar puffers.
And you forgot to mention poker night. It’s more fun than golf because you dont’ have to put the cigar down from time to time or risk getting it soggy while you putt.
No mention of when Alabama beats Tennessee! 3rd week in October!
If a funeral were held for a BOTL, I can think of no better way to celebrate his life than to light up, especially if he is to be cremated.
Too friggin’ funny! Woke my wife up laughing, which is near on impossible. As usual, when I tell her what I’m laughing at, she looks at me like I’m totally nuts. “Cigars?” And of course, the eye roll.
I enjoy my cigar on a perfect Sunday summer late afternoon in my back yard, listening to sounds of Brazil music, and drinking a dark ale beer. Smoking a vintage 2001 Gurkha, madro.
I know that most of the worst places were jokes (or were they?), but I had to smile at #1! In France, it’s a lot more liberal and some of my fondest recent memories are of me supporting my son at a soccer match while I enjoyed a decent-sized cigar.
That said, it depends largely on the pitch. If it’s closed off, I’ll probably keep them in my travel case. However, if it’s an open pitch in a field, I’ll find a corner with a good view where the soccer moms can keep at a safe distance!