The Rise of Women Smoking Cigars
The Rise of Women Smoking Cigars
Happy International Women’s Day!
More women are enjoying cigars than ever before. While you may have noticed this trend in your own life, the statistics back up the rise of women smoking cigars. About 1 percent of women in the United States say they smoke cigars, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That may not sound like much, but that's about 1.69 million women. Compare that to the 1980s, when Cigar Aficionado reported that women comprised only one-tenth of one percent of the total U.S. cigar market. That’s tremendous growth.
Now, to put things in perspective a bit more. In the United States, only about 6 percent of men say they smoke cigars. So, when you compare that 6 percent to 1 percent, in reality, women aren’t that far behind at all.
Zaya S. Younan, Chairman & CEO of Younan Collection (owners of El Septimo Cigars) and Younan Company, weighed in with an interesting take on women playing a more prominent role in the cigar industry.
“Today, more than ever, women are finding enjoyment in the taste and aroma of premium, hand-rolled cigars, but are often ignored by the industry . . . We want to step outside the box and encourage men and women alike to taste, explore, and understand the ultimate premium cigars.”
If El Septimo is proving anything, it’s that women should have an immense amount of influence within not only the smoking community but in the creation of cigars as well. (We’ll explore that in more detail later in the article.)
Why Are More Women Smoking Cigars?
The short answer is gender equality — or something very close to it — in action. While cigar smoking was once perceived as an exclusively male activity, it is now much more socially acceptable for women to visit cigar lounges and enjoy cigars.
In addition, more women have adopted a prominent role in the cigar industry.
The Most Influential Women in the Cigar Industry
Remarkable Liz —(Elizabeth Santos) a passionate cigar enthusiast and a Master Cigar Sommelier.
Cynthia Fuente-Suarez — the Vice President of Arturo Fuente Cigars.
Ines Lorenzo-Gomez — Co-Founder of La Flor Dominicana Cigars.
Janny Garcia — VP of Operations at My Father Cigars.
Cigar Vixen — (Delicia Silva) respected Cigar Reviewer and Industry Expert.
Sandy Cobas — Founder and Owner of El Titan De Bronze.
The Best Cigars for Women
Of course, women have varied taste in cigars, just like men. However, a few of our favorite cigars for women (in general) include:
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Deadwood Tobacco Sweet Jane
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Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real
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Comments
3 Delnyc
(4 days ago)I never seen or met a woman who smokes cigars. But I sure would love to meet one.
2 Jason "A little Unwell" Altman
(17 days ago)Interesting that a few of those pictures are very seductive. I guess that old saying still stands today. Sex sells.. Also how do you not talk of **Lissette Perez-Carrillo? One of the best **
2 Customer
(18 days ago)Writes an article about how women enjoy cigars just like men, then recommends "cigars for women"... what?
53 Ch@ppy
(3 years ago)Laurel Tilley, with her knowledge about cigars... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1 Floribob
(3 years ago)Julie Donaldson
1 Adele
(3 years ago)I had the privilege of visiting Cuba and saw an older woman sitting and smoking a cigar and I was blown away by one, the size of the cigar; two, her confidence in smoking it, and lastly, her enjoyment of it.
Kudos to the Doña that impacted my vision of women smoking cigars!
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