What is a Cigar Party, Anyway?

What’s a cigar party, exactly? The answer is up to you really. Any gathering where people enjoy cigars could be called a cigar party, whether cigars are the focal point of the afternoon or evening or not. Our goal in this “Hosting the Ultimate Cigar Party” blog is just to fill your head with a few great ideas and maybe some ‘must haves’ so that your next hosted event that features cigars will be a hit.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a backyard herf and BBQ with your four best friends or a 200-person soirée under a giant tent with a brass band and ice sculptures. If you want to have cigars as an important feature, then this blog is for you. So, let’s get into it!

Setting the Cigar Party Scene

The first thing to consider for your cigar shindig is who’s coming and where it will be held. Who you invite will have some bearing on setting the scene and other key decisions. Does everyone you’re inviting smoke cigars? Are any of them actually allergic to smoke?

Do you drink alcohol? Does everyone else? Where it’s happening is important too. Will it be indoors, outdoors or both? Is it at your home or a venue you control and own? Or at a restaurant or rented space. You’ll want to nail all these things down to help inform other decisions.

What to Consider in Planning a Cigar Party

Will your cigar party be indoors, outdoors or both?

If you will be enjoying cigars indoors, you’ll want to think about what room that will happen in. Ensure there’s adequate ventilation, ashtrays and a spare torch or two available. Comfortable seating nearby. You might think about entertainment if you will spend a lot of time in that space. Music or a card came even.

Your place or mine?

Is your cigar party happening at your own home or a friend’s place? Or are you going to be a restaurant or rented venue? If the space isn’t under your complete control, then call in advance to the restaurant or venue and get the lowdown on the rules about smoking cigars there. Where can you smoke? Are ashtrays available there? Can you smoke in the same areas where drinks or food are served? Is there seating available where the herf will go down?

Who’s Coming?

Your guests and their experience should be central to the planning of any great party, big or small. Does everyone who’s attending the party smoke cigars? Is anyone allergic to smoke? Don’t forget about the plus ones. If everyone’s a smoker, planning will be simpler.

If not, it’s not a problem, just think it through. Will the non-smokers have a place to be while others are smoking? How long will the groups be apart? Be sure your non-smoking guests still be entertained and have access to food and drink while you’re herfin’ it up.

What to Serve at Your Cigar Party

What kind of cigar party is it? Backyard BBQ? Dinner party? Late night drinks and a card game? Believe it or not, what food or drinks are being served should play a part in what cigars you smoke. Is everyone bringing their own cigars, or are you planning to provide them as the host?

If there’s a featured cigar or you know what people are bringing, you can use that info to help decide what food and drink to serve. If you’re providing food, drink and the cigars, then we have just what you need to get them all beautifully in sync with one another.

We suggest checking out our blog on pairing cigars with adult beverages for ideas.
Our blog on cigars and non-alcoholic drinks features some smooth mocktail pairings.
If you’re serving a meal, then you’ll definitely want to read Pairing Cigars with Food.

Some Cigars with Universal Appeal

If you’re planning on providing the cigars for your guests, definitely check out the food and drink pairing advice we linked above. But we’ve also assembled a list of popular premium cigars with broad appeal here, just in case you don’t want to overthink it. These are all great for experienced smokers and neophytes alike, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

Ashton Classic

The Ashton Classic is a perennial inhabitant of lists like this for good reason. It’s friendly, mild potency is non-threatening to the newbie. But the Ashton Classic’s flavors of buttered crackers, sweet honey and light cabinet spices are rewarding and satisfying in a way that’s bound to intrigue the new smoker. It’s a great cigar for after dinner or before because it doesn’t overwhelm the palate and it has the quality to show someone who’s never had a real cigar before just what they’ve been missing. You might say the Ashton Classic is a “gateway drug” for premium cigars.

Montecristo White Label

Even people who don’t smoke cigars know the name Montecristo. The Montecristo White Label is another of those standard-bearers and smooth smoking, mild cigars that appeal to both new and old smokers alike. It features rich and creamy smoke with notes of wood, nuts, and light sweetness that lingers on the palate. Also another cigar that does a great job of delivering a quality flavor experience without overwhelming the palate when you’re enjoying food or drink before or after it. Solid cigar party choice, to be sure.

Ashton Aged Maduro

The Ashton Aged Maduro No 60, in particular, is one of our favorite after-dinner cigars. It’s mild-medium in strength and pairs especially nicely with creamy desserts like crème brulée, tres leches or crème caramel (flan). You can’t go wrong with any of the Ashton Aged Maduros though. Newer smokers will appreciate the approachable flavor if the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and old heads will be fully satisfied with the rich leather, oak and cocoa overtones of these tasty maduros. If all your guests are experienced smokers and you want a bit of a heartier, pepperier maduro, try the Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9.

Micallef Connecticut

With the more mainstream standard-bearers covered, we’d be remiss if we didn’t throw in something just a little different. Micallef Cigars is a newer brand that has earned serious accolades for its unquestionable quality and consistent deliciousness. The Micallef Connecticut is a favorite of ours here for its combination of creamy Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper with a blend of fine Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler that introduce earthy spice notes. It manages to be on the mild side while always holding your attention. We’re willing to bet it will be a hit with your guests.

Smoke Inn Blog

How to Host the Ultimate Cigar Party