Smokin' Good
Cuban Cigars are synonymous with Ybor City
BY Ginger Warder
In 1885, Don Vicente Martinez Ybor brought his Cuban cigar manufacturing business to Tampa Bay. Little did he know that a city would be named after him, one that would be proclaimed the cigar capital of the world. By 1929, the Ybor factories were producing more than 500 million cigars, shipping and selling them all over the globe. Although the cigar industry gradually declined during the twentieth century, Ybor and his talented Hispanic craftsmen are still an integral part of our history.
What makes a great cigar bar? Hand-rolling, an eclectic and exclusive selection, a walk-in humidor, good ventilation, a large selection of wines, cognacs, beers and a convivial atmosphere are important to cigar aficionados. Today, master tabaqueros still hand-roll cigars in our quirky Latin quarter, and Bay area residents have more than a dozen fine cigar lounges and smoke shops to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Where else to start our search for the best cigar bars in Tampa Bay than in their Ybor City birthplace?
The King Corona Café and Bar on 7th Avenue (kingcoronacigars.com) is owned by a fifth-generation cigar family who know every facet of the business from the leaf up. Featuring handmade cigars from Ybor City and around the world, as well as their own King Corona brand, the café features an upscale Cuban coffee bar with free Internet, authentic Cuban and Latin American music, a vibrant patio, and a unique gift shop that sells everything from cigar molds and smokes to Cuban Guayaberas and Panama hats. Since the café serves breakfast, sandwiches, tapas, and beer and wine, it’s a regular meeting spot from morning ’til night for Ybor residents and regulars. The café stocks a line of flavored cigars for the ladies, and there’s even an adjoining barbershop for busy executives who need a haircut with their morning café con leche. This is the Cuban version of Cheers, a social mecca well worth a visit whether you smoke or not.
Located in Centro Ybor, Stogie Castillo’s Cigar Lounge & Factory (stogiecastillos.com) is a relative newcomer to the Ybor cigar scene, opening just under four years ago. Owner Ivan Castillo turned his avocation into his vocation when he opened this wine bar that features hand-rolled cigars from Central and South America. The banker-turned-bar-owner studied with master rollers for several months to come up with his own unique blends like the Robusto Suave, a smooth blend of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos. This customer favorite is touted as being “Stogielicious!”
A favorite of Bay area businessmen who love the free WiFi and waterside location, LIT Premium Cigar Lounge (litcigarlounge.com) in Channelside has a full liquor bar, state-of-the-art ventilation system, comfy couches and a plethora of plasma televisions. Patrons can unwind with a cocktail and select their smoke of choice from hundreds of premium cigars in the walk-in humidor. Stored at a 70-degree temperature and 70-
percent humidity, LIT’s selection includes top brands from around the world, as well as a full line of smoking accessories. If you loved Bern’s upstairs or the old Café Cigar Bar at the Columbia, you’ll feel right at home here.
The cigar cultures and traditions of Puerto Rico and Cuba come together with a modern twist at Latin Quarter House of Cigars (lqhouseofcigars.com) on St. Pete Beach. Master Blender Ramon Luis “Willie” Martinez Santaliz uses his Puerto Rican expertise to create exotic mini-vintages and custom blends, while Master Roller Addit Bruto calls on his Cuban heritage for its hand-rolling techniques. Using only superior grades of tobacco 
and authentic, traditional techniques, the two experts have the Bay area buzzing about their microfactory with its Spanish cedar walk-in humidor. Voted Tampa Bay’s Best Cigar Bar in 2009 by the duPont Registry, the Latin Quarter House of Cigars and its fusion of past and present creates not only great smokes, but also a casually elegant atmosphere with its streamlined bar and billiards tables, well-stocked humidor, and its excellent selection of everything from legends to limited blends.
Blue Smoke Cigar Bar (bluesmokecigarbar.com) in Clearwater specializes in hand-rolled premium cigars from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua, perfect companions for their large selection of imported beers and microbrews. This casual and clubby lounge has a walk-in humidor packed with popular cigars from Cuesta Rey and Cohiba to Arturo Fuente and Macanudo, and their new wine bar offers a large list of fine wines and Champagnes.
