When you reach for your favorite boutique cigar, you’re tapping into centuries of cigar culture, tobacco cultivation, and blending expertise.

Cigar’s history dates back to before Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. In the generations since cigar culture has continued to grow and evolve.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of cigar smoking, from its early cultural roots through to cigars’ role as a 21st-century status symbol.

The long story of cigar history has its origins in Central America, where ancient civilizations like the Mayans rolled and smoked the first precursors to modern cigars.

We know that cigars were smoked at least as early as the 10th century because images of cigars have been found on Mayan pottery from that time. We even think the word ‘cigar’ evolved from the Mayan word ‘sikar,’ which was the act of smoking.

In 1492, Columbus arrived at the Caribbean islands we now know as Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. He saw natives smoking cigars and took the knowledge back to Europe with him, where tobacco gained an international reputation throughout the 1500s.

At that time, many boutique cigar studios were based in Spain, using New World tobacco. By 1758, the Spanish monarchy opened their tobacco processing factory in Seville, which marked the true beginning of modern-day European cigar culture.

European cigar culture can be linked directly with Columbus, but in the Americas, cigars have had cultural significance for over 1,000 years.

Tobacco was used for ceremonial purposes, as well as being viewed as medicinal by indigenous people. These beliefs did not transfer to Europe, where smoking was initially frowned upon. However, cigars instead became a status symbol and a hallmark of the sophistication of high society in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In addition to the Seville factory, Spanish colonists created the first modern cigar factory in North America (which, you might guess, was located on the island of Cuba).

Thus, Cuba’s role in modern cigar history was cemented. The island’s climate is ideal for cultivating tobacco, and soon became one of North America’s main exports.

Luxury cigars have often been seen as a status symbol, especially throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Only the rich could afford to regularly smoke imported Cuban cigars, which became a staple of boardroom negotiations in many businesses across Europe and North America.

Because of this, cigar sales were closely linked with the performance of the stock market. In 1929, when the US stock market crashed, cigar consumption fell substantially, too.

But as economic cycles recover, so does cigar smoking, proving the enduring appeal of a premium hand-rolled cigar through thick and thin.

Like any consumer market, cigar smoking has developed and evolved its own traditions over time, creating the cigar culture we know today.

Blending tobacco, either from one region or from several different locations, created unique flavor profiles and began to evolve the puros we see on sale in the 21st century. Cigarmakers also started to introduce new shapes and sizes, giving us vitolas like Coronas, Torpedoes and chunky Churchills.

Additionally, the cultivation of new types of wrapper tobacco transformed the visual aesthetic and the smoking experience of premium cigars. Innovations like Connecticut Shade and dark Maduro leaves give master tobacconists more options to distinguish between different sticks in the same family of fillers.

Trends in cigar tobacco cultivation

Tobacco cultivation for cigars has changed in a variety of ways. New growing regions like Ecuador, Indonesia and Cameroon have brought their own unique contributions to flavor profiles.

Improved growing and fermentation processes have reduced the demand for resources like water, improving the sustainability of the tobacco industry. At the same time, optimized processes mean premium cigars are more consistent than ever. Where they might have differed in years past, your favorite smoke should now always taste the same.

Changing consumer preferences

The internet has undeniably impacted modern cigar culture. Now, it’s easier than ever to learn about cigar history, either directly from boutique factories and studios or from blogs like this one.

Young consumers are adventurous, with a desire to experience many different types of tobacco, different strengths of smoke, and different growing regions. Home delivery puts the whole of the global cigar industry at your fingertips, whether you want to buy in bulk or try some new smokes as singles.

Dedicated smoking lounges are a key part of modern-day cigar culture. These cigar lounges allow enthusiasts to share a space where they can talk about their favorite smokes, usually with some available to buy on-site.

It’s proved to be an extremely welcoming community, with newcomers in most cigar lounges treated with respect and even offered helpful advice by the more experienced aficionados.

Conversations are not limited to what cigar you’re smoking, either. Lounges are a place to talk about sports, politics, news headlines, and anything else you fancy.

Cigar lounge etiquette

As friendly as cigar lounges are, there are a few important points of cigar lounge etiquette that newcomers should be aware of.

For example, it’s common practice to buy a stick or two from the retailer before using their smoking lounge (although you usually can also smoke your brought-along cigars).

You usually shouldn’t smoke cigarettes or vapes unless the lounge rules specifically allow this. Many lounges — and aficionados — prefer to keep what members smoke in the same category, and multiple types of smokes (and scents) can negatively affect the overall experience.

Finally, try to keep it clean. Cigar lounges don’t always have great ventilation, so blow your smoke away from anyone sitting nearby, and always ash your cigar into an ashtray rather than letting it drop all over the floor.

Smoking cigars has its own rich culture that has evolved over at least a millennium. Every drag on a boutique smoke is a taste of that long and proud cigar history.

Cigar culture is inseparable from everyday society, whether it’s influenced by economic cycles or by changing consumer preferences.

As you light up your next cigar, give a little thought to the people who played their part in its creation, and remember that your own cigar-shopping habits are also a part of that history and evolution.