Smoke's on Fire, by Kwame Jabari

It is said by many that old habits die hard. That adage couldn't ring more true for smoking tobacco in its oldest form, the cigar. Not only has cigar smoking remained a constant, and been present throughout the settling of the Americas. It has grown and adapted seemingly relighting itself in today's popular culture.

No one knows for sure when the tobacco plant was first grown and cultivated. There is little doubt thought that the early indigenous peoples of central and south America, and Caribbean Indians were the first to grow and smoke the plant. The word tobacco is thought to have come from the name of the island Tobago. Others claim it comes from the Tabasco province of Mexico. Cohiba, a word used by Taino Indians of Cuba, was thought to mean cigars.

Until Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492, the European world was totally unaware of tobacco. It is believed that Columbus's crew discovered cigars while exploring Cuba. They observed the Cuban natives smoking a crude form of the modern day cigar during religious ceremonies. Their cigars were wrapped with Maize (corn leaf), and filled with tobacco leaves.

His crew took on the habit and brought back samples of the "Golden Leaf" to their mother country Spain. Initially, the smoking of cigars was seen as a pagan ritual punished by imprisonment. Returning conquistadors fully introduced tobacco smoking to Spain and Portugal; and it became widely accepted. Eventually, Spain would build an entire industry around her new colonies "Golden Leaf". Seville, Spain became the center of this and is recognized as being the birthplace of the modern cigar, where it became a sign of wealth, and then spread throughout Europe and on to America.

Cigars and their air have survived into the present and reached levels of consumption not seen in recent history. The attitude and lifestyles of cigar smokers have changed dramatically along the timeline though. Not just for the elite of aristocratic society, high plains cowboys, dictators and gangsters anymore. Cigars and their consumption have returned with a bang in America and around the world. No longer is the smoking of cigars exclusive to white males in private boys clubs.

At no time in history has cigar smoking been as hot either. Even today, when the backlash against the use of tobacco has grown, with some communities around the U.S. adopting or proposing total bans on its use in public buildings and restaurants. Numerous magazines newsletters and web sites are all devoted to the cigar and those who appreciate them. It is common place these days to see low quality cigars at almost every shop counter, as well as fully stocked humidors in liquor stores and wine outlets.

The cigars latest manifestation has come in the form of cigar bars and lounges. In almost every major city now one can be found easily. In these cool smoke spots cigar retailers have fused the love of stogies together with wine cellars. This mixture, rounded out with live entertainment, has surprisingly created some of the hippest and casual hangouts to be found today.

“The cigar bar is a culmination of ideas, were cigar lovers and aficionados can come relax and converse in a comfortable setting, have a cigar and maybe a glass of wine,” says James Morrow co-owner of Aromas, Jacksonville Florida's hottest smoke room.

“They can sit down and relax for at least for the 30 to 45 minutes it takes to smoke a cigar. Mixed with the music, it's almost therapeutic for some people,” He said.

These are no white boys clubs any more either. Lighting up has now crossed over all social and cultural lines including gender, with women being one of the fastest growing consumers of cigars. Going into his second year of business at Aromas, Morrow has seen an increase in the number of his women patrons as well.

“Our customer base is extremely diverse. It started out mostly all male from age 35-60, but has rapidly grown to include more and more women,” Morrow remarked.

“ Women like our wine selection and our environment is safe and cozy for them. Plus they can try a cigar maybe for the first time, and not have to feel like an outcast.”

Many have embraced the idea of Aromas and places of their like, especially young adults. These hip spots have captured the dollars of generation x's younger clientele as well. This has created, in some case, new and broader customer bases. It seems cigar men like Morrow and their new kind of cigar marketing, are not only a part of the sophisticated fun-seekers landscape today, but may be already seeing their relevance maintained down the road.

“We may be part of making a change in how people will buy their cigars in the future. Aromas and others could be the cigar stores of the future,” said Morrow.

So you see, to see the future one must look to the past. Didn't somebody say that too? Well if they did, and it holds any credence, Cigar smoking may be a part of our past whose embers have rekindled. This time literally.

So for better or worse, it seems one of the new-worlds oldest habits is again on fire…