Tobacco was not originally a vice. Whether or not it was a “sacred” thing depends on which anthropologists, historians, ethnobotanists and Native American traditionalists you ask, but one thing they all agree on is that it was culturally significant.
Some people used it religiously, as a gift to gods or elders. Others, socially, as a gift to share with old friends and an offering to new buddies. The traditions around “Nicotiana tabacum” go back centuries, and by 1563 Swiss physician Conrad Gesner wrote that partaking in tobacco by chewing or smoking it “has a wonderful power of producing a kind of peaceful drunkenness.”
Traces of the ancient attitudes still linger, in Miami more than most places.
Where the practical materialist might nurture the body with distilled water and fresh sea air, the more indulgent Biscayne Tippler nurtures the soul with a sampling of the city’s cigar bars.
Not Like Other Bars
(Ariete Hospitality Group )
Nicolás A. Jiménez, cigar program director at El Vecino.
“The cigar lounge is really the last remaining vestige of that ‘Cheers,’ you know, ‘where everybody knows your name’ kind of culture,” said Nicolás A. Jiménez, cigar program director and partner at El Vecino (698 NE First Ave., Ste. G-172, Miami; 786.412.1811), a cigar bar and lounge that has already become a downtown Miami landmark barely a year after opening its doors.
“It’s an environment where once you have the cigar in your hand … in a way that isn’t necessarily the case with a cocktail, even after all these years in this business, I haven’t quite figured out,” he said. “It’s this thing that makes people who see you feel like, ‘Oh, we have a thing in common, and we’re probably going to be friends now.’”
As part of the Michelin-recognized Ariete Hospitality Group, El Vecino enjoys a slightly fancy cachet, with stylish, smooth wood paneling and an outstanding food menu. As the name might imply (it’s Spanish for “the neighbor”), one of El Vecino’s strengths is that it’s next to one of Ariete’s other businesses, Brasserie Laurel, which serves a menu specifically for guests at El Vecino.
(Amoretto Ashley for Ariete Hospitality Group)
El Vecino attracts a local crowd of cigar enthusiasts.
“Outside of the humidor, we have a caliber of service, and a caliber of cocktail program, and a caliber of food that just simply does not exist anywhere in the cigar-smoking world to my knowledge, and I think that I’ve smoked up plenty of places to have that frame of reference!” said Jiménez.
He’s not making an idle boast – as senior editor at Cigar Snob magazine, Jiménez spent seven years traveling every other month to experience a different cigar culture.
“That, basically, was me expensing 72 hours of eat, smoke, drink, eat, smoke, drink, eat, smoke, drink … write about it later. Hard. Right?” he said with a chuckle.
That level of expertise and joy in the work is something Jiménez likes to share with anyone who walks in the door.
Joining the Club
(Instagram/@rpbbrickell)
A craft cocktail at the members-only Red Phone Booth on Brickell Avenue.
The familial nature of the cigar lounge is a theme running through the scene.
It’s even true at Red Phone Booth (1010 Brickell Ave., Miami), a Brickell Avenue lounge that at first might seem ever so exclusive – as in, a low-key speakeasy ambience, a four-page membership application and a code of conduct with items like: “We ask guests to please understand cigar terminology and not to take offense should anything resemble or be misconstrued as an innuendo.”
Kelsey Drevyn, RPB’s assistant general manager, says it strives for an atmosphere of elevated comfort, class and intimacy.
“What I love about us is the difference between us and the rest of Miami lounges and bars: We are creating a memory for our guests, not just serving them food, drinks and cigars,” he said. “Despite being primarily a members club, we are welcoming and embrace Southern hospitality. We have codes that allow nonmembers to be able to visit and welcome them with open arms.
“Our owner, Cam Harrington, tends to describe us as an upscale ‘Cheers,’ where strangers and members alike connect with each other and we get to know everyone that visits.”
(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
Smoke indoors or outdoors while people watching at Española Cigar Bar & Lounge.
On Miami Beach, scrolling through the socials for Española Cigar Bar & Lounge (409 Española Way, Miami Beach; 305.604.3432) gives one a similar impression. It’s not exactly a barefoot beach bar, but there’s the same lack of stuffiness despite the collared shirts and tasteful surrounds.
“At Española Cigar Lounge, we strive to create an atmosphere that’s both
sophisticated and welcoming, where every guest can find a moment of leisure and luxury,” said Claudio Torres, general manager.
By combining Miami Beach liveliness with the old-fashioned elegance of a traditional cigar bar, Torres says his establishment creates “a unique destination for both aficionados and newcomers alike.”
Smoking & Drinking
Another thing Miami’s cigar bars have in common is an appreciation for connoisseurship. Cigars, like wines, beers or liqueurs, are often a handmade or small-batch product, with different styles and brands offering new experiences to someone willing to give them a try.
And just as sommeliers will recommend food pairings for fine wines, these cigar experts have thoughts about which stogies bring out the best in which cocktails they serve. Of course, the final word is up to your own palate – but they’re happy to share pointers.
(Instagram/@espanolacigarbar)
Pair your cigar with a signature cocktail at Española Cigar Bar & Lounge.
“One of our most popular pairings is the modern combination of a Kingmakers Inkwell No.3 Maduro and a delicate nuanced Zacapa Rum old fashioned,” said Torres, explaining that the rich, earthy flavors of the Inkwell go with the bittersweet flavor of an old fashioned.
“Another guest favorite is the pairing of El Mago Connecticut with our signature Flor de Caña mojito,” he added. “The Mago’s smooth, medium-bodied profile pairs beautifully with the fresh mint and lime, offering a refreshing contrast that’s perfect for our Miami Beach evenings.”
An old fashioned also comes to the fore at Red Phone Booth. Humidor attendant Michael Brown, author of “Hats and Cigars: Flairing and Pairing,” said its most popular cocktail is the Smoked Old Fashioned.
“if you really want to treat yourself, get it with Bardstown Discovery Series bourbon," he said. "This cocktail pairs great with the Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour cigar and is guaranteed to enhance your ‘prohibition’ experience. The sweetness of the Ecuadorian wrapper complements the sweetness of the cocktail as well, as the spiciness of the cigar is a perfect combination with the higher-proof bourbon. Cheers!”
Jiménez is thoughtful about pairings, too.
(Courtesy of Michael Brown/Red Phone Booth)
Michael Brown is a cigar professional at Red Phone Booth.
“It all depends on the person, right? At the end of the day, the safest pairing is going to be the cigar that you’re going to enjoy the most with the beverage or the food or whatever it is that you’re going to enjoy the most,” he said.
He personally likes to pair cigars with contrasting flavors as a complement, rather than with like flavors.
“In other words, rather than sweet on sweet, one pairing that I recommend to people all the time is any cocktail with orange bitters and orange garnish,” he said. “For instance, the Rick’s Old Fashioned, which is actually a rum old fashioned – with any maduro from Padrón.”
Rick’s Old Fashioned uses Moroccan vanilla; the drink was named for Humphrey Bogart’s character in “Casablanca.” And for the uninitiated, a “maduro” (Spanish for “ripe” or “mature”) refers to a wrapper leaf that has had a longer fermentation time, making it darker, rounder and almost chocolatey.
“It gives you this moment of chocolate-orange sensation on your palate,” Jiménez said. “We’ve had a lot of people come in telling us they avoid maduro tobacco assuming it’ll be too strong for them, only to be talked into giving it a shot and ending up with that as their regular thing.”
But he also has a soft spot for an entirely different pairing: a Peaty’s Pepino paired with 20 Acre Farm by Drew Estate.
The cigar is a polar opposite from a maduro, wrapped in a “Connecticut Shade,” typically the lightest in any humidor.
"That particular tobacco varietal is light and delicate, in part because it’s grown under shade, either from natural cloud cover or cheese cloth,” Jiménez explained. “The result is a milder flavor and lower nicotine content.”
The cocktail is made with a cucumber liqueur (thus, “pepino”) and Islay Scotch (thus, “peaty”). Peaty is also the name of Jiménez’s old but virile dog.
“He is always at the bar when I’m there. When I saw a cocktail with cucumber in it – you know, ‘pepino’ is Spanish for ‘cucumber’ – I told these guys, if you’re gonna let me do this at all, then you have to let me make a joke about my dog on the menu,” Jiménez laughed. “It’s actually an oddly smoky and refreshing drink at the same time.”
Grant Balfour is a Miami Beach native, writer, editor, traveler, musician, bon vivant and our official Biscayne Tippler.
