| When, in the early 1990s, the premium cigar industry | | | | downtown Burbank" from which so many '60s |
| rebounded after years of stale sales figures and | | | | television shows broadcasted - has its own band, and |
| slackening consumer interest, it faced a new social | | | | another stogie bar in Glendale, California, has free |
| climate. More and more municipalities and states had | | | | appetizers. At Fumare (the Spanish word for "to |
| passed anti-smoking legislation throughout the eighties, | | | | smoke") in Reno, Nevada, patrons play poker, browse |
| and this trend only continued through the 1990s and | | | | books, and watch sports on the flat-screen TV. And |
| beyond. All of which meant that many of those new | | | | Shelly's Back Room, in Washington, D.C., with its |
| smokers found themselves unable to enjoy their new | | | | location close to the heart of the nation's governmental |
| hobby over a fancy restaurant meal, at the movies, at | | | | processes, offers a chance to eavesdrop on the |
| some bars, or sometimes (as in the case of the new, | | | | corridors of power. |
| ultra-restrictive British smoking laws) anywhere | | | | Other bars are actually cigar stores with substantial |
| outdoors at all. | | | | added-in lounges - similar to coffee-roasting foundries |
| Thankfully for smokers, cigar bars sprung up | | | | where coffee is also served, or breweries that offer |
| throughout the country as a way to offer smokers the | | | | excellent bars. For example, at The Tobacco Shop in |
| chance to enjoy the rich taste of their smoke in the | | | | Hartford, Connecticut, you find some hard-to-find |
| company of folks with similar interests. Many of the | | | | smoke and pipe products. Signature Cigars in Rockville, |
| new anti-smoking laws make exceptions for | | | | Maryland, offers free coffee to smoking customers. |
| establishments that cater directly to smokers - though, | | | | These establishments are traditionally male-dominated, |
| often, in these cases, the smoke-permitting | | | | according to stereotypes, but as with many |
| establishments must also install air-filtration systems | | | | once-well-established facts about cigar smoking, this |
| and various other gadgets that ensure maximum air | | | | one has been subject to some revision in the years |
| purity (for those inside) and minimum leakage (for the | | | | since the mid-1990s cigar boom. Premium stogie |
| non-smokers outside). Thus, cigar bars represent an | | | | makers noticed an uptick in the number of female |
| important site for the new generation of smokers. | | | | cigar smokers during that period, and stars like Jennifer |
| Often, they're the only place in town where a person's | | | | Garner and Demi Moore trumpeted their love of |
| love of stogies can be shared in a like-minded, social | | | | stogies on the cover of magazines such as Cigar |
| atmosphere. So it's no wonder that cigar bars, like | | | | Aficionado. In this new climate, it's no surprise to find |
| stogie specialty shops, clubs, and even, magazines, | | | | women frequenting cigar bars as well. Photographer |
| became an important part of the new cigar culture | | | | Danuta Otfinowski offers, on her website, a photo |
| that blossomed during the 1990s. | | | | essay devoted to the women who patronize New |
| The range of amenities offered varies with the bar. | | | | York City's cigar bars. She writes, "Cigars have been a |
| Some high-end bars offer for-rent humidor-lockers - | | | | smoky symbol of male power for many years, but the |
| such as Club Macanudo in New York - or books for | | | | post-feminist 90's are witnessing the resurgence of the |
| sale, such as the two Bar and Books stores in New | | | | stogie among both men and women." |
| York City (at Hudson and at Lexington). At Azucar | | | | With cigars continuing to enjoy steady growth in |
| Cigar Lounge in Corona, California, you find plasma | | | | popularity, and those restrictive anti-smoking laws |
| television sets and walk-in humidors. Many bars double | | | | seemingly not about to go anywhere, the importance |
| as, in effect, high-end sports bars; they're classy places | | | | of cigar bars will likely continue to grow. But there's |
| in which to sit in leather furniture while watching the | | | | nothing new about that - tobacco has had a social |
| Knicks game. | | | | dimension for nearly as long as it's been smoked. |
| Other cigar bars offer the same amenities and | | | | Smoking in ancient tribal societies was, after all, often a |
| entertainment options as other kinds of bars. Burbank | | | | social, celebratory activity, and perhaps cigar bars |
| Bar and Grill in Burbank, California - the same "beautiful | | | | recover some of that ancient camaraderie. |