Smoking a fine cigar is all about enjoying what little time we have to ourselves in a given day. We get this one hour or so to relax and enjoy a hand crafted luxury that’s taken months or years to make, and generations to master. Should we really spend this precious time worrying about what others consider good cigar etiquette?
The answer might surprise you. No. Don’t worry too much about having the perfect cigar etiquette. Worrying doesn’t accomplish anything. Just HAVE good etiquette. It’s not difficult and it’s not something to sweat over. It’s as simple as having good manners and respect to the people around you. They are also trying to enjoy their precious time off.
Top 5 Etiquette Rules
Follow these simple rules and you can keep your cigar lounge pleasant, and always receive a welcoming smile when you arrive. You might even make some cigar friends along the way!
Just Be Polite
A cigar lounge is like any other public space. General politeness should be common sense. It’s easy to simply be aware of others around you. Say excuse me, introduce yourself, and keep in mind that you are in someone else’s space. That also means that you should ask about the rules and hours of the shop. Don’t stay past closing and don’t treat the staff like waiters (unless you are sure that they are!). And please, don’t take someone else’s seat. A general kindness and awareness goes very far in a cigar lounge.
Clean Up After Yourself
Please, if you make a mess, leave food or use a glass, clean up after yourself. You are in someone else’s space and you wouldn’t want guest to come into your house and leave a mess. If you do find yourself in a lounge with a wait staff, then you’ll need to tip them like you would anyone else cleaning up after you. It’s only polite. If you accidently ash on the floor, no worries. Just try to clean up as much as you can. Some places will have a hand held vacuum. It’s not a huge deal, but it is good etiquette to clean up any ash not in the tray.
In addition to your surroundings, keep yourself clean as well. No one wants to sit next to a man that hasn’t showered and smells like BO. Even in a smoke-filled room, you’d be surprised what smells can penetrate the fog.
It’s Not A Sports Bar, Don’t Shout
Keep your inside voices while enjoying your cigar inside a lounge. There are occasions where it’s appropriate to cheer on a team or make celebratory noises, but for most of your time spent in a lounge, you are going to want to talk regularly. People are there to relax and have good conversation. If you notice your group becoming a little loud, just lower your own voice and speak at a slower pace. It shows that you command the room and don’t have anything to prove.
Don’t Snuff It Out
So far I’ve mainly mentioned general etiquette and niceties that could be applied to a variety of scenarios. Well this is one rule that is Cigar specific. Do not under any circumstance snuff out or smother your cigar. It smells bad and is an ugly site. It might seem nit-picky but out of all the dumb uppity cigar rules, this is the only one that matters. If you accidently smoke to your band, or you don’t hold your cigar right, no one cares. This one. This is the one to care about.
Also don’t ever put water in the ash tray. We know things sometimes catch on fire in there. But it’s ok. It’s an ash trey.