Cigars didn’t become what they are overnight. The traditions, rituals, and standards we recognize today were shaped over centuries of exploration, craftsmanship, trade, and cultural exchange. As part of our Cigar Academy, this Cigar History hub explores where cigars came from, how they evolved, and why certain regions, techniques, and moments still matter today.
The history of Oliva Tobacco isn’t the story of a cigar brand that showed up overnight. It’s tied directly to the history of cigars themselves. Long before logos, product lines, or packaging were part of the conversation, the Oliva family’s...
For more than a century, Cuban cigars have been regarded as the gold standard of the cigar world. That reputation was built on exceptional tobacco, skilled craftsmanship, and a deep connection to Cuban history and culture. Behind that legacy stands...
World War II reshaped nearly every aspect of modern life, from industry and technology to culture and daily routine. As nations mobilized at an unprecedented scale, tobacco became woven into military life, this time through a fully industrialized war effort...
World War I marked a turning point not only in global conflict but in the everyday habits shared by soldiers on the front lines. As the First World War introduced industrialized warfare, prolonged trench fighting, and mass mobilization, the role...
During the American Civil War, cigars quietly became part of daily military life for many soldiers and officers on both sides of the conflict. While far from essential, cigars offered moments of familiarity and calm amid a war that pitted...
Before cigars became firmly associated with Havana, Seville stood at the center of Europe’s earliest organized cigar production. As Spain’s primary port for New World trade, the city controlled the flow of tobacco entering Europe and naturally became a place of...
Havana’s name carries weight in the cigar world for a reason. Long before cigars became symbols of leisure or luxury, Havana emerged as the center of organization, trade, and influence for the global cigar industry. While some of the world’s...
The Semi Vuelta region sits within Cuba’s western heartland, sharing geography with the broader Pinar del Río province. This area has long been recognized as one of the most important tobacco-growing zones in the world, thanks to its fertile land,...
Tobacco didn’t conquer Europe overnight. It started as a curiosity, strange leaves carried home by sailors who had no idea they were holding the future in their hands. But once the plant arrived in European ports, everything changed. Word spread....
Cigar history isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about perspective. Understanding where cigars came from helps explain why they’re made the way they are today, from construction techniques and tobacco selection to burn behavior, flavor development, and aging traditions.
Over centuries, certain regions, methods, and standards earned their place through consistency and craftsmanship, not trends. Early systems of quality control and refinement shaped how cigars were rolled, evaluated, and traded long before modern brands existed. Many of the expectations cigar smokers still hold today trace directly back to these foundations.
These historical guides explore the people, places, and moments that helped define the cigar as we know it. Whether you’re new to cigars or years into the hobby, understanding the history behind the cigar adds depth to every smoke, giving context to the rituals, traditions, and techniques that continue to shape the experience today.
