Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 414

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Yesterday, the New Orleans City Council unanimously passed a smoking ban. But the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) was quick to point out the new law will not impact its 83rd Trade Show, slated to be held in the Louisiana city in July. “The ability to smoke in cigar bars, the convention center, and in facilities being used for private events is protected… Your representatives from IPCPR and the Cigar Association of America have been working diligently with the New Orleans City Council on behalf of retailers and manufacturers. Thank you to all IPCPR members who contacted the City Council to voice your concerns regarding the original legislation. With your help, we generated nearly 700 emails to the Councilmembers. Your active participation was critical to our success.”

2) In Tuesday’s State of the Union Address, President Obama called on Congress to end the longstanding trade embargo with Cuba, saying, “We are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date. When what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time to try something new.” The next day, the highest level talks between the U.S. and Cuba in decades commenced, with clashes over immigration. Clearly, while a new course for Cuban relations has been set, we are still a long way away from ending the embargo. If you’re looking for a summary of what this all means for cigars, you can revisit our analysis here.

3) Randolph Churchill, great-grandson of Winston Churchill, accepted a lifetime membership in Cigar Rights of America (CRA). “It is difficult to think of my great-grandfather without a cigar,” he said via a CRA press release. “His love for great cigars spanned a lifetime, and he enjoyed them wherever he was, whether at home painting, or on the battlefield. I imagine he would be sad to find his enjoyment of them curtailed by regulation. I am proud to now be called a lifetime member of CRA, and would hope that all who share this noble indulgence can recognize that enjoying a cigar is truly a moment to enjoy one’s own liberty.”

4) Inside the Industry: Puro Sabor, Nicaragua’s annual cigar festival, took place last week with events in Managua and Estelí. At the festival, the Nicaraguan Tobacco Association announced that Juan Ignacio Martínez, executive president of Joya de Nicaragua, will replace the outgoing president and legendary cigar man Nestor Plasencia, who served five years at the head of the organization.

5) Deal of the Week: Fans of My Father Cigars will want to check out this store-exclusive lancero release of the highly-ranked Flor de las Antillas. Made for Stogies World Class Cigars in Houston, use the discount code “SG10” for 10% off your first order, plus land free shipping on all five-pack or box purchases.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR