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.
Cigars didn’t become a European staple overnight. They earned their place one ship, one port, and one smoky room at a time. By the 17th century, tobacco had spread across Europe, and cigars were emerging as a more refined alternative...
Cigars and cigarettes may come from the same plant, but in Europe, they grew into entirely different stories. When tobacco first reached the continent in the 16th and 17th centuries, Europeans experimented with it in every form imaginable: pipes, snuff, chewing...
Long before European ships crossed the Atlantic, tobacco was already part of everyday life in the New World. Native to the Americas, the tobacco plant was cultivated and respected by Indigenous peoples throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and South America....
Vuelta Abajo isn’t just another tobacco region; it’s the stretch of earth that shaped Cuban cigars into a world standard. Hidden in the western province of Pinar del Río, this narrow valley produces tobacco so balanced, so aromatic, and so...
The story of cigars is as rich and layered as the smoke itself. To trace cigar history, we must follow the journey of tobacco from the sacred rituals of indigenous people to the centerpiece of global luxury. What began as...
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.
