Cigar smoking has become increasingly popular among women in recent years, and with this popularity comes the need to understand the etiquette rules that come with it. According to anecdotal reports from cigar manufacturers and retailers, it appears that women smoke cigars in significantly larger quantities than in the past. Market research conducted in the late 1980s determined that women accounted for one-tenth of one percent of the total cigarette market in the United States. Norman Sharp, president of the United States Tobacco Association, says that the market has clearly changed in the eight years since this study was conducted. When it comes to cigar etiquette, there are a few key rules that all women cigar smokers should follow.
First, cigars should be held between your index and middle fingers, never between your thumb and forefinger. This is because cigars are not meant to be treated like cigarettes, and it is considered rude to break a cigar against an ashtray when you have finished smoking. Additionally, some smokers prefer to keep the cigar band on for aesthetic reasons, while others take off their bands so that no one knows what brand they are smoking. Oral historian Perucho Sanchez, an 88-year-old Key West native and a veteran of the tobacco industry (he worked in factories in Key West and Tampa), recalls that it was clear that at that time there were social pressures that made it difficult for women to smoke cigars in public. Increasingly, however, women are starting to smoke cigars or coming out of the closet as long-time cigar smokers. Every part of the cigar adds something to the flavor of a cigar, just as different spices and ingredients change the flavor of your favorite dish.
The wrapper can provide around 40% of the flavor of a cigar, in addition to adding aesthetics to the appearance of the cigar. Julie Ross, co-founder of the George Sand Society of Santa Monica, a smoking club that welcomes women and men (now there's a chapter in Manhattan), has been smoking cigars for 10 years. But do women smoke cigars in sufficient numbers to exert significant influence on the market? Diana Silvius-Gits is part of the board of directors of the United States Conquests Association and was president of Retail Tobacco Dealers of America, Inc. Sirgado firmly believes that he inherited his love for the pure from both the women in his family and from men. In Tsai's view, the United States has also taken longer to accept women cigar smokers in the business context. As soon as you notice signs of tobacco beetles, gather your entire collection of cigars in that humidifier and place them in resealable bags.
Dry cigars are the main reason why I always recommend storing the cigar in the humidifier for quite some time after buying them. For this reason, cigars were accessories for women who staged their sexuality in public: gypsies, actresses and prostitutes. Understanding these etiquette rules is essential for any woman who wants to enjoy her cigar smoking experience without offending anyone or breaking any rules.
