Thanks to Winston Churchill, George Burns and the Marx Brothers, the cigar enjoyed iconic status in the first half of the 20th century.
But for much of the next half-century, cigars took a backseat to cigarettes due to their popularity among smokers.
That began to change in the 1990’s when celebrities such as Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Jordan made the cigar cool again. Even the hit sitcom Seinfeld helped popularize cigars in an episode featuring Kramer’s newfound affinity for taboo Cuban sticks.
Nostalgia, lower tobacco taxes and a shift away from cigarettes produced a $300 million cigar market by the 21st century, marking the comeback of the nostalgic stogie. Since then, in the first decade of this century, cigars have more than doubled in sales.
“Cigars are a sign of prestige, power and success,” says Buddy Williams, manager of M.A.’s Smokehouse in Shreveport-Bossier. “At the end of a long day at the office, it’s relaxing to sit back and enjoy a cigar of great quality.”
Cigar smokers often enjoy their selections in the company of fellow smokers.
“Smoking cigars is often a social experience in which smokers bond with each other,” says Buddy Williams, manager of M.A.’s Smokehouse. “You’re paying between $8.00-$35.00 a cigar, so smoking one is not something you do with indifference. You want to sit down and savor the experience. That’s why we offer smoking lounges at the Pierremont location. We want to provide an enjoyable atmosphere where cigar smokers can come together and watch sports, play dominoes and even have business meetings.”
With 40 years of experience in the cigar industry, M.A.’s Smokehouse offers expert advice on cigar selection. M.A.’s showroom of cigars offers a variety of smokes from its popular house cigar to a number of Rocky Patel sticks.
“We enjoy sharing our knowledge of cigars and introducing new brands to smokers,” says Williams.