The cigar has long been viewed as a luxury of the rich and powerful.  Images of well-to-do men puffing on a stogie and swirling a glass of good brandy have been well documented and memorialized in films and TV.  If you are just becoming interested in cigars and would like to relax with a stogie and drink after a long day’s work, here are a few tips to get you started.

Traditionally, the cigar has been paired with a strong drink.  Popular spirits include rum, brandy, or whiskey.  Some argue that a good cigar should always be paired with a strong drink that has a hint of sweetness.  Indeed, cigar smokers have long enjoyed these popular pairings.  For years, the idea of pairing cigars with beer has gone overlooked.  But why overlook good old beer?  Recently, the trend has been to pair cigars with various varieties of beer.  It seems that as cigars have entered the mainstream, it has been democratized and popularized.  What better way to enjoy a puff of this newly popularized treat than to pair it with beer?

Pairing a good cigar with a good beer is not an easy feat, but when accomplished, it is well worth the effort.  Much of the pairing has to do with your experience level.  If you are a novice, you will probably need help in pairing your specific cigar with an appropriate beer.  If you have a more experienced palate, and you know what you like, you can probably make connections between certain types of cigars and beers.

Because cigars are so strong and flavorful, one of the challenges in pairing is to find a beer that complements the intensity of most cigars.  Most cigars will pair nicely with a good barely wine or a single malt scotch.  If your cigar can be described as woody, spicy, with hints of cedar, try pairing it with a barley wine.  The fruity hint of barely wine should complement nicely with the spicy flavor of your cigar.  The combination of a spicy cigar with a slightly fruity beer can create an overall creaminess that enhances the flavors of each significantly.

If you have no clue as to what flavor combinations might work, experiment.  First, find a cigar that you enjoy.  Try to identify the characteristics that you enjoy about it.  Then, find a beer whose flavors you think might ‘match’ or complement the cigar.  Many incredible discoveries have been made in much this same way.

Your cigar box may be at risk of a secret predator.  Many cigar aficionados have been shocked and repulsed at finding their treasured cigars infested with Lasioderma Serricorne, also known as tobacco beetles.  This dreaded beetle feeds on your precious cigars.  They don’t care if your cigars are drugstore mass-market brands, or imported beauties.

What is the tobacco beetle, and where does it come from?  The tobacco beetle exits in all countries where tobacco is produced.  It thrives on tobacco plants, infesting their leaves before it is processed.  Tobacco beetles thrive in hot climates, and especially in the warm countries Caribbean countries where much of the world’s tobacco is produced.  Tobacco beetles lay larvae that are white and up to 4 mm long.  When the larvae hatch, they produce moths that proceed to hungrily eat their way through the tobacco leaves.  Unfortunately, the tobacco beetle has been known to survive the process of fermentation and production that is used to make most cigars. Although many countries have made the effort to rid their tobacco crops of this dreaded pest, mostly by spraying crops with gases, the tobacco beetle has proven highly resistant.

If the tobacco beetle survives into the finished product, many cigar enthusiasts may open their cigar boxes to find that their cigars have been eaten through.  Sometimes the presence of the tobacco beetle can be detected through the presence of small puncture-like holes on the wrapper.  The holes can make an average cigar resemble a flute.

What can you do if you find your cigars infested with the tobacco beetle?  Research has shown that your microwave may be your best defense in destroying the tobacco beetle larvae.  Before using your microwave, remove and dispose of any infested cigar from your collection.  The rest of your cigars can be treated.  In order to rid the remaining of your collection of this pest, you should make sure to microwave your cigars together, never individually.  Microwave them for about three minutes.  After being warmed, immediately place the cigars into the freezer.  After freezing them for 24 hours, remove them and allow them to thaw at room temperature.  After they have thawed completely, place them in a humidor.  This treatment has proven effective in removing the presence of the tobacco beetle.  Before removing a cigar from the humidor to be smoked, examine each cigar individually.  If the cigar shows no evidence of infestation, it is safe to smoke.

Smoking cigars may be a great source of pleasure in your life, but the courteous smoker knows that not everyone enjoys the taste (or smell!) of a good Cuban.  With the fervor of anti-smoking campaigns still in full swing, the importance of enjoying a good stogie while not offending others cannot be stressed enough.  Simply remember that while you are smoking a cigar, it can be difficult to gauge the smell that others are experiencing.  And don’t forget that cigar smokes can leave a mighty strong residue on clothing, furniture, and even the walls!  In order to enjoy your stogie without a heavy conscience, learn to become a considerate and courteous cigar smoker.

If you live with non-smokers, try to find a well-ventilated area of your residence where you can smoke comfortably.  Although it may be tempting to lock yourself away in an office or bedroom, it’s probably not a good idea to smoke in an enclosed area unless it has a window.  Make sure you have easy access to the window.  Never smoke in a closed area!  You are more likely to inhale the toxic air from your own cigar.  If possible, go outside to smoke.  Pull up a lawn chair; relax on the porch, or any other open area where you can smoke comfortably.  Get as far away as possible to non-smokers, especially children and the elderly.  Remember that cigar smoke contains many carcinogens that can be easily inhaled by non-smokers.

If you must smoke a cigar outside your home, remember that the courteous and respectful smoker will only light up where legally permitted.  Do no light up in a bar, hotel, or restaurant where smoking is clearly prohibited.  The courteous cigar smoker will also make sure to smoke in the company of other smokers.  If you are with someone who does not smoke, ask his or her permission.  If they agree, be considerate about it.  Make sure the smoke isn’t wafting in their direction.  Sit near an open window or space.  Make sure the air conditioner or current is moving the smoke in their direction!  Also, make sure no one around you is eating.  The secondhand smoke from a discourteous smoker is a surefire way to ruin a meal.

A courteous cigar smoker will also be aware of their ashes.  If you must smoke outside your home, make certain to dispose of your ashes in a safe and appropriate container.  Don’t forget that ashes can easily blow away, especially in lower quality cigars.  Don’t litter with ashes, and be careful they don’t blow near anyone around you.

Do you yearn to blow smoke rings with your cigar like a pro?  Stogie aficionados often speak of the ceremony-like deliberateness of smoking a good cigar.  Blowing smoke rings is the mark of a smoker who enjoys the smooth and relaxing effects of smoking.  But how do you blow a good smoke ring?  Some argue that it cannot be taught—that it will simply come to you with time and practice.  Regardless, here are a few tips to get you going.

Veteran smokers note that in order to blow a good smoke ring, you will need to create dense smoke.  Draw a deep, dense smoke puff into your mouth.  Hold the smoke there and then open your mouth slowly and deliberately.  Open your mouth, shaping your lips into a rounded ‘O.’ and pull your tongue back as you expel the smoke.

Keep in mind that you are not exhaling the smoke, but simply pushing it out of your mouth.  Also keep in mind that this maneuver will not work if there is even a slight breeze in the air.  Make sure you try it in a location with still calm air.

The sheer diversity of cigars can be confusing for new smokers.  Many new smokers want to know:  is it OK to buy cigars from their local drugstore or chain store?  What is the quality of these cigars?  Can you expect to get good flavor from these cigars?

While of course, it’s perfectly OK to purchase these cigars, be aware that these packaged cigars are usually of poorer quality.  Most ‘drugstore’ cigars contain preservative or other non-tobacco ingredients.  Common ingredients found in packaged cigars may include paper, Glycerin, and saltpeter.  High quality cigars will contain only tobacco.  Packaged drugstore cigars will generally contain these extra ingredients designed to keep them stored on the shelves for extended periods of time.

In order to get the best quality cigars, you will have to visit your local tobacconist.  While many mail order businesses do carry good quality cigars, be aware that they usually will not sell singles, thus you will have to purchase whole boxes.  Visiting your local tobacconist allows you to test different brands before settling on a box.