Metro Cigar News Spring 1998: Learn to Smoke

JR Cigar Classes a Big Success

Ever gotten your hand on a box of what you though were the best Cubans you'd ever seen, only to find that you've been hoaxed into buying a box of phonies? Well, join the club. At one point or another it seems as if we have all been tricked by one of the many Cuban imposters out there today. Wouldn't we all like to be able to spot a fake?

This is one of the many reasons people are flocking to JR's cigar class, currently being offered to all cigar smokers, novice to aficionados.

Prepared by Philip Darrow, JR's Director of Food & Beverage, the weekly class covers every aspect of cigars while including some history, like where Christopher Columbus first landed (you may be surprised at some of the answers!). You will learn how to identify cigars, about long and short fillers, the aging process, who is the world's largest producer of cigars, and a whole lot more. A favorite subject of the class is the code that Philip will shows you, which will help you decide if those cigars you bought at the airport are real! A relaxed and entertaining atmosphere allows "students" to have a drink and/or smoke, sit back and brush up on your cigar etiquette.

Our own staff and panelists attended the informative class and were surprised at some of our own misinformation.

The class is $25 per person and includes a slide show presentation which has recently been expanded, beverages, gratuities and a bona fide diploma that's signed by Lew Rothman himself. Held every Monday evening at 7 p.m. on a first come, first served basis, classes are conducted at JR Tobacco on Route 10 East in Whippany. Each class averages approximately 20-25 people.

For directions or for more information about the Monday evening class or about JR Tobacco, call (973) 887-0800.

What'll they think of next?

The nation's first drive-through humidor
Cigar smokers in the Washington, D.C. area will be able to purchase Macanudos, Davidoffs and Cifuentes without getting out of their cars. Sam & Harry's, a steak and seafood restaurant, has opened a branch in Tyson's Comer, Virginia that will house the nation's, and probably the world's, first drive through humidor.

"We wanted to have some fun and provide our customers with an unusual service," said Michael Stemberz, owner of Sam & Harry's. The building that we bought once housed a bank with a drive-through window. Instead of closing the window, we decided to create a drive-through humidor as a convenience to our customers."

A menu of ten cigars will be available to drive-through customers. The choices will be displayed in a Plexiglas case. An attendant will be on duty from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

In addition, picnic lunches will be available.

Tyson's Corner, Virginia, is located on the Washington Beltway, six miles from the nation's capitol. After Silicon Valley, Tyson's Corner has the nation's largest concentration of high-tech companies.