Stogie Commentary: Ybor City

In-flight airline magazines usually aren’t the most fascinating publications. This is one of the reasons why, after all, periodical stands make such killings at airports. But if you’re planning a trip on Southwest Airlines in the near future, you may want to reconsider forking over $27 for that new Dean Koontz novel.

The May 2006 issue of Southwest’s Spirit magazine sports a wonderful article by Jack Boulware about the Cigar Capital of America: Ybor City in Tampa, Florida.

There is one place left where smoking makes sense, where it’s part of a cultural heritage, a testament to craftsmanship, style, and family. A place where a good cigar is a tradition.

If you’re not familiar with this Mecca of tobacco, Ybor is a historic Latin quarter of Tampa that was once the stogie pinnacle of Earth. Over 20,000 workers produced about 700 million handmade cigars each year in this neighborhood, all from Cuban leaves.

Today, many cigar companies and distributors have their headquarters in Ybor, stogies cost about one half of what they do elsewhere in the country, and – perhaps best of all – smoking is tolerated everywhere. Writes Boulware:

I live in California, where you have about five minutes to enjoy tobacco before an angry mob beats you to death with pamphlets.

The article basically chronicles Boulware’s heavenly visit to Ybor, chatting with local cigar legends, touring famous cigar stores, and – of course – smoking stogie after delicious stogie.

So if you’re hopping on a Southwest flight anytime soon, take a few moments to enjoy this fine piece of literary magic. And if your business or personal travels take you to Tampa, rest assured the city is more than just a retirement community filled with chiropractors, churches, and Bingo halls…It’s also home to Ybor.

-Patrick A