Cigars for Women... Really? Yes, Really.

by CigarManDan

                                                                                         

Volume 3 – 9/30/13

Well, I cannot say that I have been truly surprised by the growing popularity of Cigar smoking.  I have watched it flourish since about the time that we all breathed that collective sigh of relief at 12:01am on January 1^st 2000, when the world didn't just stop.  No, the banks didn't shut down, the stock market didn't crash, and the streets remained fairly pandemonium free.  Man, what a bust that was.  I have become increasingly involved with Cigars since that time, and have been watching how the industry and popularity of Cigar smoking has grown in the last 13 years. 

I had the privilege of working in New York City for almost a decade.   I visited many of the great Cigar shops of the City in my time there.  From Del la Conch, a beauty of a shop on 6^th near Central Park, to the wonderfully stocked Midtown Cigar on 5^th Avenue, to the Velvet Cigar Lounge downtown  in the East Village.  I have been to the Davidoff shop on Columbus Circle and to virtually every major bus & train station Cigar store in NY and NJ.  I have also seen Cigar Bars become the bastion of resurrection for this timeless tradition. 

        

In leaving civilization, finding the center of the Cigar world in Tampa & Central Florida has been a wonderful surprise.  Now I know how Magellan must have felt when he finally got off that boat, located a plush resort, and discovered “the swim-up bar”.  Further, my experiences with really great organizations like Corona and JC Newman have made the Sunshine State home for me now.  I have seen the gamut of Cigar smokers too, including college newbies, middle aged journeymen, to your fully domesticated, silver-topped Cigar Masters.  All unified in their total enjoyment of these wonderful little companions of relaxation and pleasure.  While it is a testament to the growth and exposure of the industry, it was not totally unexpected.  I mean, Cigar smoking has increased exponentially over time.

 

However, what has surprised me is the overwhelming growth of Cigar smoking among women.  Where I would never, ever see a woman enjoying a fine cigar in a shop or smoking club before, I cannot visit a Cigar bar now without usually seeing one, and sometimes several women puffing away and enjoying nice rich Cigars. 

This is refreshing, exhilarating, and downright tantalizing to the adult male mind, all at the same time!  Why the surge in Cigars among women?  What do they like about it?  And what do men love about them loving Cigars?  Alas, I will try to unravel these ageless mysteries and provide some occasionally insightful, and often unfunny commentary.

Why the Surge?  Cigars were historically a symbol of male power.  Maybe true once, but it is clearly not the case anymore.  I believe it’s rooted in the legacy of the post-feminist movement.   Feminism was born in the 70s, developed through the 80s, and reached maturity in the 90’s.  The problem was that feminism needed somewhere to go in the first decade of the new millennium.  And man did it face tough issues.  Taking on the complex topics of equal pay, glass ceilings, child rearing, healthcare, and political representation, feminism needed a place to kick back and rest its tired, aching, feet.  Hell, it’s 40 something years old now.  What better way to do that than enjoying a smooth rich cigar with a nice relaxing drink, right?         

The statistical facts say that the unprecedented growth of the industry and the tremendous number of people purchasing and smoking Cigars, simply had to also snare a large number of women along the way.  I guess that’s probably right too.  I personally will lean toward the feminist theory myself, as it is something that I think women would probably agree with, and one that makes me sound far smarter than I really am.

What do they love about it?   That’s easy.  What women primarily love about Cigars are the big, bold, and complex flavors.  The deep smooth textures, sizes, varieties, and tastes that Cigars provide for them are unparalleled.  From the smooth & creamy blends with vanilla, cinnamons  and cocoa flavors, to the earthier, nuttier, and darker varieties, they are all now available to women without restriction.  In comparing Cigars to how women were introduced to Cigarettes in the beginning of the previous century, a move made primarily to increase the sales and profitability of an addicting habit, Cigar smoking is completely voluntary.  It offers a variety of different experiences to women, which they now use as a collective “bitch-slap” response to the chauvinistic social restrictions historically imposed on them.

Of course, Cigar manufacturers are no dummies.  They have moved quickly to grow, process, package, and market lines to a new feminine demographic.  I mean heck, money is money.  The real beauty of it is that it hasn't been really necessary.  Women are moving to Cigars, and enjoying all the pleasure that they have to offer, based simply on the merits of the product.  In speaking to one Cigar store sales guy recently, there are clear favorites among the ladies in their purchase selections.  Their choices tend to be based primarily on size and length (some things never change).  The really wonderful thing about cigars is that identical leaf types are often produced in varying sizes, thicknesses, and styles.  Although the smoking experience is different in these varieties, it gives women a tremendous amount of flexibility in how they choose to mature their relationship with Cigars.

One other interesting difference from men is that women tend to smoke Cigars in direct proportion to their social calendars.  Unlike yours truly, who will smoke a Cigar whenever time and space permits, women tend to smoke Cigars in social settings.  Huddled around a fire pit with a group of girlfriends while enjoying a nice frozen cocktail, or down at the local Cigar bar, chatting it up with fellow patrons, these are all common environments for our Cigar smoking heroine.  So while the chance of seeing a lady smoking a Cigar while out mowing the lawn, or puffing away as she gives her engine a tune-up is still pretty slim, enjoying Cigars in social settings is an approach that is all her own. 

Why Do Men Love it So Much?   After many, many, hours of deep analysis of the male psyche, my answer would be complex, cerebral, and Freudian in nature.  That would of course be if I had one.  I don’t.  But what I do know is that it parallels how a man feels when he sees his babe in one of his business shirts, or when we see a really hot girl welding on one of those Car Shows on the Speed channel.  It’s the "Cross-Over Connection".  There is something that really gets a guy going when he sees an attractive lady doing what has typically been known as a “man’s job”.   Does it border on George Costanza’s pondering on why men love watching lesbians together?  I dunno, maybe.  But this is all well above my brain’s gigabyte capacity, so suffice to say that it is just damn hot to see.  We love it.  Women seem to love us enjoying it too. 

So there you have it.  Women are migrating to Cigar smoking in record numbers.  They are doing it because of the fantastic flavors, it works well in social settings, and simply because they can.  The baseless taboos of the past have been lifted, and women are enjoying all of the pleasure and enjoyment that Cigars have to offer.  We men are lovin’ the company and find it all so very stimulating.   So ladies please just keep enjoying your Cigars, and we guys will be sure to keep watching and supporting your new found pleasure.  All the way to the humidor.