The 1740 Barbier is not your conventional barber. Rather, it is a mix of cigars, a bar and old-fashioned shaves and treatments. Located in the L’auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, this is where to stop for a little facial pampering with a 94 rating.
The resort has a four diamond rating, so expect 1740 to up the game a little bit on the standard offerings. The space has limited chairs, so you feel a bit of privacy for the appointment.
The best treatment is the “Poker Face Luxury Shave.” You might not win a million with your next hand, but you will look like it! Other options include haircuts, trims, waxing and shoe shines.
And, what would be better than a gentlemen’s treatment with a appropriate beverage and cigar? While not huge, the humidor within 1740 features a nice selection of smokes including Montecristo, My Father, Rocky Patel and Cohiba. Adult beverages include a nice selection of Bourbon, Scotch, Rum and Cognac.
Shotgun Willies in Denver at first glance doesn’t seem like the ideal location for a cigar pairing dinner. But after you arrive, you see a private humidor and liquor storage area for members, and you know you are in the right place.
The Cigar Pairing Dinner is the invention of Padre Ruiz, who is also the Cigar & Bar Manager. Being at Shotgun’s for 13 years, and seeing the increasing interest in cigars and pairings, both personally and professionally, Padre put the plan into action.
The cigar pairing dinners occur every two months, and combines food, cigars and beverages. You don’t have to be a SW locker/humidor member to attend. Each dinner features a premium cigar manufacturer with their latest cigars and on-the-spot specials. Food is carefully crafted by Dirt $quad Kitchen with four to five courses, depending upon the evening. The food theme matches the beverage theme.
For this event, the French courses were paired with Hennessy Cognac, progressing from Hennessy Black to XO and finishing with Paradis Imperial. The empanada with orange-cranberry relish was carefully matched with Hennessy VSOP, while the steak au poivre was accented by Hennessy XO. All events combine food selections and the best beverage companions for the ultimate experience.
Cigars were in prominent focus with the attendance of Hamlet Parades, master craftsman and roller for Rocky Patel. Hamlet cigars were featured as the latest creation from Hamlet himself. His expertise was started by being born and raised in Havana, and spending 23 years in cigars before joining Rocky Patel four years ago. The Hamlet 25th Year, crafted in Nicaragua, is medium-bodied cigar combining a Ecuadoran Habano wrapper with a cedary note, a Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan & Honduran fillers.Quite a testament to the expertise of Hamlet and his passion for cigar perfection. For additional questions and insight into specific cigars, local rep Crystal LaTour also aided in spreading the word on new Rocky Patel products.
This is a limited seated event, right inside the show club. Tickets are $150 per person for the event, and with only 30 seats, tend to fill quickly upon announcement of the line up. Email for more information and your ticket to this special event if you are in the Denver area.
It is not often you can smoke a cigar with legends. Like all extraordinary events, the annual “Kitzbuhel Campfire” has become more like a raging bonfire with world-class cigars, spirits, and celebrities in a one of a kind location.
This event, in its’ 5th year, coordinates with the Hahnenkamm Downhill, and lights it up from 4:00-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2019. The ski race is the main event, yet here you can get up close and personal with legends with a bit of cigar comradery.
The event has grown in a few short years to expand with luxury cigars, spirits and personalities all cemented by the appreciation of cigars, personal excellence, and comradery. The idea originated from collaboration between private club visionary, Richard Hauser and Daniel Marshall, the leader in old-world humidor craftsmanship and unique cigars. Marshalls’ humidors are consistently rated number one by Cigar Aficionado while all of his cigars have earned an outstanding, or 92 rating.
The event occurs at the Daniel Marshall Cigar Lounge at the Kitzbuhel Country Club in Austria. A testament to the reputation and vision of Marshall to have a cigar lounge named after his vision, accomplishments, and character. Limited Tickets are still available, make your request via email.
Cigar Lounge Opening, Kitzbuhel Country Club.
You puff away with the likes of former Governor Schwarzenegger, ski icon Marc Giradelli, Hauser himself and other cigar and sports notables. And yes, that smoking élan comes from the limited DM Red Label Cigar by Marshall combined with spirits from Padre Azul Tequilla.
Some people are true forces of nature in their niche. When it comes to cacao and chocolate on the Big Island of Hawaii, Farsheed Bonakdar is both a force of nature and a DaVinci-like visionary of the future of that tasty treat in Hawaii.
Hawaii is just on the edge of the temperature zone, the demarcation where the cacao bean will grow. Most of the agricultural attention has been on Kona coffee, a crop that has been cultivated for almost 150 years. Yet cacao is making a hefty surge and is the focus of both on-island consumption and export. The major chocolate concerns are always looking for new sources of the bean, and ones with a distinct taste to boot.
Yet until Farsheed stepped in a few years back, the cacao industry appeared to be wallowing in confectionary neutral as it couldn’t quite amp up to the next level. The Big Island Chocolate Festival (BICF) had been around for a while, yet was a collection of growers who didn’t have the time or energy to get to a collective vision and action plan.
Bonakdar has a wealth of all-over-the-world experience. He has lived in six countries, including his native Iran, and speaks six languages. In terms of education, his first interest was math, then art. He now looks at food production and processing as art. And in the world of chocolate, art is fitting.
Getting to Hawaii was a bit of an unplanned turn. Farsheed noted “I lived in 4 different states in US, then went to Hawaii based on a friend’s request to check his property and possibly start a retreat where guests would enjoy healthy vegetarian foods, meditations and various therapies. That never happened but instead I purchased a piece of property in a remote area. I did not like the quality of mixed greens available, so I decided to experiment.” As he began to troll the options in this area, a close friend in California introduced the idea that with his resort connections, why not chocolate? The planting of the first cacao tree gave the visionary roots.
As that crop grew, the resulting connections and customers probably were key to the next step in moving the BICF and industry to the next level. Unknowingly, Farsheed’s purchase of the now famous 42-inch chocolate fountain might have been one of the big pushes the event needed. Instantly, he became the “Chocolate Guy in Hawaii.” His business, The Cocoa Outlet, has steadily grown each year and provides both consumer products and ingredients for restaurants and resorts.
Farsheed Bonakdar & Patti Kimbal pictured with the 42-inch chocolate fountain
Chocolate now had a face and visionary in Bonakdar. The next logical step was a plan, and he crafted an event at a high-end resort with famous chocolate chefs. “I had come to know a lot of celebrity chefs, and the first one I invited was chef Jacques Torres, who came and helped set up our various competition parameters besides the student competition, in categories like best plated dessert, best bonbon, best savory, best bean to bar, best fermented Hawaiian bean” he noted. The result was competition drove both the amateur and professional chefs to create brand new and amazing dishes.
In Hawaii, events have a way of bringing business, education and culture together in a manner not duplicated on the mainland. The results have been amazing with the BICF. He took over a struggling Kona Chocolate Fest in 2012, and together with six women, formed Kona Cacao Association, a non-profit organization that puts on the BICF. He now serves as president of that group. Even more amazing is how the event has both grown in popularity and impact. It has donated over $120,000 to various beneficiaries. It has served to highlight cacao, Hawaii’s newest cash crop through farming seminars and chocolate classes.
Pretty amazing considering Farsheed Bonakdar wanted to be an architect.
Denver International Airport now has arguably the best food of any restaurant in the U.S. While traveling somewhere is the primary purpose, good food helps the journey pass a little more pleasantly.
Gone are the days of tough burgers, donuts and coffee. Yes, you can still get those, but DIA has morphed the restaurant concept so you can get exceptional fare right by your gate. And the options are sit & relax, dine quickly or get it to go as consumable carryon. Many of the new restaurants have established locations elsewhere, so a presence at DIA makes sense with both name recognition and food options.
When B Concourse was the busiest, well that was where there were at least some food options. Now, every concourse from A to C has numerous options from quick, to go and sit a spell.
One of the many breakfast options at Mesa Verde Grill
A Concourse tends to be an early out hub, and the best option for early to late is Mesa Verde Grill. This is the home of the True Colorado Breakfast. And, since it’s right smack in the middle of A concourse, a convenient one-stop for everything. Meal options go from breakfast to small plates to full entrees. It has a casual, south of the border feel, and since just out of the traffic lanes, a little bit of food piece and quiet. Options are the full bar inside, inside seating, or seating along the mezzanine. Many of the dishes cross over from one meal to the next including their Huevos Rancheros and Skillets. If there was one dish not to miss, it is Sabana de Pollo, a grilled chicken breast covered with Asadero cheese, over rice with a roasted Serrano pepper.
Elway’s Grilled Steak
If you want the exceptional dining experience, then Elway’s on B Concourse is it. Get one foot inside the space, and you are out of the airport and into an upscale dining experience. Like other restaurants at DIA, limited kitchen space means you can’t get all the items at a freestanding location. However, everything here is just as good. Besides being a great food oasis, this is also an excellent place for a business meeting as well. It has been said you can judge a good restaurant by its iceberg wedge salad, and this has a classic. Another great one is the truffled beet-fresh mozzarella salad. The most popular dinner selection and a must try the short rib “off the bone.” Braised slowly in rich stock and served with mashed potatoes on the side. Elway’s is open for breakfast as well, and offers the same level of food attention and taste that made them famous for dinner.
Travelers flock from the busyness of D.I.A. to the bar at New Belgium Pub
New Belgium Pub is obviously a brewpub, but the question is always how is the food? Well, if you are on this end of B concourse, this is definitely a one-stop with both great drinks and food. The breakfast starter of choice is the Belgium Waffles Hub Style, a little stack of beer-infused breakfast heaven. Their Velodrome Bowls give you steamed rice, roasted vegetables and your selection of in-house roasted meats with five different sauce options. And, as expected from this Ft. Collins offshoot, plenty of microbrew options for any taste.
The Sky Sampler gives travlers a healthy alternative
Before business got cranking on C concourse, there were not any real food options, and that has changed dramatically.
The Tapas Sky Baris really unique in it has bar service, tables and charging workstations for customers. The drinks are up a notch, starting with the Jalapeno Sweet Margarita. Limited breakfast items, but the small and large plates are where Tapas makes a food dent. The Mediterranean Platters comes with roasted garlic hummus, olives, nuts, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and grapes. And, all the food at Tapas can be had to go.
If you need more a relaxing moment in the middle of the A concourse, then Root Downis THE sit-down. Arguably the most original bar and restaurant interior at DIA for starters, then fantastic food. Take any dish; add a dose of global infusion and the old favorite has some zing. Try the Salmon Bento Box, an American interpretation of which features Sweet Chili Thai Glaze, Multigrain Coconut Rice, Roasted Edame Salad, Miso Vin Arugula & Fortune Cookie. If a burger is on the food trail, then 1/2 lb. Never Ever Beef Burger is the meat wagon on a pretzel bun, tender belly bacon, cheddar, sriracha mayo & sweet potato waffle fries
Las Vegas is one of the best places to smoke a cigar. And even though there are now restrictions in most restaurants and some bars, you can still smoke on the casino floor and in most outdoor public places. A bevy of unique cigar shops & lounges continues to do well in Las Vegas. Just like the diversity of visitors and attractions, there is a cigar shop that appeals to just about every cigar smoker.
En Fuegos might be the most comfortable lounge with no rules, come and smoke your cigar. EF focuses on more boutique blends. Michael Abdoulah, the proprietor, wanted a shop and bar that fit the way he liked to smoke cigars. For example, they brought in the Leaf Cigar by Oscar. It looks rough as it is wrapped in a tobacco leaf. However, he found that after looking at it, then trying it, his customers were fans. Warped is a good, small cigar company that is representative of the brands EF stocks. No alcohol here, but at the Henderson location, alcohol is allowed. Also, they have their own En Fuego house blend, thanks to a manufacturing and import license, so they roll their own on site.
If you want something a little off the strip, with a bit more local flavor, then the CigarBox is a real locals’ cigar lounge. Just west of the Strip on Dean Martin behind Caesar’s, this is easy to get to, and you definitely come down a notch from the bustle level of the Las Vegas Blvd. The Cigar Box added a bar, which serves a variety of craft beer, wine, coffee/espresso, and soda. While there is an open area for all to converse, they also have a conference room that can be used for meetings and small events. Like their sister operation, Casa Fuente, they feature a wide cigar selection and not exclusive to Arturo Fuente cigars, with everything from moderately priced sticks to boutique smokes.
The Havana Cigar Lounge, while only open for seven months, has made an impact on the cigar scene due to the vision of Michael Alexander. Lots to like about this establishment as it is classic comfort – nice chairs, a 120-inch television, big pictures and relaxed atmosphere that says stay a while. The humidor has a variety of well known balanced with some things you haven’t likely heard about. Some of the boutique brands include the Santos De Miami Extreme Boxed Pressed, La Rosa De San Diego in Maduro, Habano, and Connecticut, and Bariay 1492 toro. Just soda, tea, and bottled water, but ample libations and the food is just around the corner. Since it is a mile from the strip, easy to get to and haul some sticks back to the casino.
La Casa in Summerlin is a high-end lounge that features an incredible spirits collection combined with nightly entertainment. This is the perfect marriage of a nightclub with a cigar bar. This operation is located in Tivoli Village, so shopping and dining are all within an easy walk. The proximity makes for a great evening out of dining, and then cigars combined with liquid and musical libations. Dance contests also occur with regularity. When the weather is a little better, their two outdoor patio areas are perfect cigar/drink settings.
Casa Fuente is one of the premier cigar lounges on the Strip. Open for over 11 years, CF is a mix of bar, cigar lounge, outdoor-type smoking, and humidor. While others are shopping at the Forum Shops, get your stogie on with a premium beverage. CF is home to Arturo Fuente brand cigars and sports two other exclusive cigar lines in the large humidor. CF has arguably the premier selection of mojitos in the area, and CF boasts over 100 whiskeys on the spirits list.
If you want part social scene and part cigar opportunity, the Davidoff of Geneva Cigar Bar is more like an upscale lounge that also happens to be in the cigar business. An extensive open-air patio section with heaters beckons private parties and corporate groups in this location in the Fashion Show Mall. They have an education series designed to make females comfortable with the cigar experience. Also, the bar area has a nifty floor to ceiling ventilation system, so the non-smoker does not get overwhelmed. The bar pours craft drinks and specialties from top to bottom, with over 400 products. From the Oro Blanco on down, the humidor is small but mighty in luxury cigar offerings.
The cigar business seems to attract exciting characters, and Paul Vato, a former actor, and writer is now the cigar baron of downtown. Vato Cigars is a like LV cigars used to be when Sinatra and Martin were puffing. VG is a modestly sized shop within a Fremont Street casino with personal service. The smoking lounge is next door inside Benny’s Smokin’ BBQ & Brew. Paul does some unique events, such as the cigar crawl where you get six premium cigars, drink specials and a look inside the cigar history of Las Vegas. Despite the size, Vato has a good selection of premium cigars and also rolls his own. Last but literally lengthy is the “All In” cigar, 18 inches long and sure to keep you puffing for more than three hours.
Ten years ago, there was one craft distillery in Denver. By the end of 2018, there will be over 105 craft distilleries giving the mountain west a rich new history of vodka, gin, rum, agave derivatives, and whiskey. And with 348 beer breweries in the state, most of which are in the Denver-Boulder corridor, that is a lot of decision making to wet that whistle
These operations are spread from Colorado Springs to Boulder, in nooks and crannies best described as on the border of residential and light business/industrial. So you are just not going to drive around and find them.
Unlike any other place in the U.S., there is a tour that blends your particular cultural and historical interest with these libation purveyors. Centennial Specialty Tours letsyou hop on the comfy shuttle bus and make your way through specific distilleries, breweries and even history, comedy and music. Moreover, of course, you can consume and sample while leaving the driving to the tour operator.
Rick Tyson, a former tour leader for distilleries and breweries, came up with the idea. You might say, he is the man with a driving plan. In a few short years, Tyson has turned this into a menu of historical and beverage options that power pack your time with a 90-proof experience. A former Air Force Security Officer, Tyson lead tours for a variety of distilleries and cultural destinations in and around Denver for over eight years. Tyson notes, “I loved giving tours almost as much as I liked to imbibe, and if I could ever bring the two together, the dream job would finally be at hand.”
Like any better idea, Centennial Specialty Tours was formed as the catchall for different tours that combine sights, history, and liquid libation. Tyson offers walking and chauffeured tours in the Denver metro area. Guests learn about the distilling and brewing process and enjoy craft spirits, cocktails, beer, and wine. Denver has much history, so these tours have options with live music, mountain vistas, and even a little dabbling into the city’s haunted past. Nothing might go better with a ghost story thana little throat warmer. As the business has grown, Tyson’s tours are now predominantly corporate or personal interest specialty itineraries as the interest request of the customer. The set options are still there, however tailoring to the wants of the participants has proven the popularity ticket.
Tours leave from various locations, with a popular one starting on the east end of Downtown at Mile High Spirits, and then meandering to three other stops. Some of the notable distilleries include Downslope, State 38 and Rising Sun. The drive to the next location is just the right amount of time to let the ingestion of the last libations settle before rounds two, three and four.
While focused on distillery tours, Tyson is adding brewery tours and even adding in artisan coffee stops along the way to keep the participants awake. Their first tour was the Whiskey and History Tour, and still most popular. Tyson notes “more companies are using these tours as team building excursions and perks.” For the cigar lovers in the group, there will soon be an option to stop at the Robusto Room for a stogie and scotch pairing.
The Robusto Room in the south part of Denver might be the ideal blend of cigar shop, lounge, and bar. Located on the south side of the bustling Park Meadows area, this place has it all and has events scheduled periodically that make a special stop worthwhile.
On the first Tuesday of every month, The Robusto Room has a special emphasis night with a specific cigar brand, liquor, and some catered treats and a couple of special services.
This particular Tuesday started with Oscar Cigars as the first stop right inside the door. All of the new cigars skillfully explained by Alex Harding, local rep for Oscar Cigars. Leaf by Oscar is unique because they don’t have conventional wrappers, just an extra tobacco leaf that serves as the wrapper. Two of the new cigars available for smoking included the Ciseron, named after the box art of the same name with no Honduran components, but rather an Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan filler. The AlterQ pays homage to Mayan tradition for something with a medium, historical flavor.
Alex Harding, displays the unique offerings from Oscar Cigars.
A puff away was tasting for Willet Distilleries, orchestrated by Rachel Meyer, distillery rep for this unique line of boutique bourbons. These limited quantity bourbons, started in the 1930’s in Kentucky were a 97 proof hit with the attendees with their selection of specialty blends. Among the tasters giving approval were Dave Terpstra, Joe Tinaglia and Justin Dylan.
Rachel Meyer displays the rare selection of bourbons offered at Willet Distilleries.
If you are going to Stogie up, then some food is a right balance, and the unique dinner item was actually a breakfast item re-done from Snooze A.M. Eatery. How can you go wrong with pancakes and bacon?
The bar is long and diverse with a massive stock of specialty spirits, wine, and beer. And being a cigar bar, the whole bar offers to smoke as you imbibe with your new friends.
During this event, the Robusto Room also offered complimentary classic hot towel shaves by Scissors & Scotch. For the outdoor aficionados, fly tying was also available to catch your favorite swimmer.
And, always a chance to peruse the new offerings in their humidor area, under the watchful nose of Janette Kononov.
For this event, the French courses were paired with 
