Rapper Jay-Z Plans to Retire With Cigars, Wine and Food
Rapper Jay-Z is a well known cigar smoker. His picture graced the cover of Cigar Aficionado magazine and his albums have included pictures of him smoking a big cigar. Jay Z recently told the media that when he retires with his superstar wife Beyoncé Knowles, his plans are to do it the "Marlon Brando" way, on a secluded island of his own.
Jay-Z said the couple plans to retire to a private island to smoke cigars, drink fine wines and get fat. “That’s what I enjoy. That’s the payback for all the hard work. Beyoncé will be on the island too. But I don’t think she plans to get as fat as me. I’m gonna be fat.” He counts on meals from his "genius chef" who will cook.
Jay Z has been smoking cigars for years. The 40 year old rapper and businessman prefers the larger ring gauge cigars, such as the Churchill cigars and the Medina 1959 Miami Edition Corona Gorda with a 64 ring gauge.
Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, a sports bar chain; is part-owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets; is the creator of the clothing line Rocawear; is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings; one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records; and is the founder of Roc Nation. His music is listened to in every country of the world and he holds the record for the most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200.
While there were rumors that his wife was trying to get him to quit smoking, recent pictures show that Beyonce Knowles is herself smoking cigars. During a recent music video shoot she was filmed smoking a cigar. Paparazzi photos also show Beyonce smoking a cigar while on vacation with Jay-Z.
Cigars, Rum and Olga Guillot in Cuba
Pre-Castro Cuba was a paradise known for cigars, rum and the music of Olga Guillot. Throughout her career Olga Guillot had 14 records that went gold and 10 platinum. She appeared in 20 movies and was the first Latin entertainer to perform in Carnegie Hall. The "Queen of the Bolero" was known among Cubans in the exile community as "Olga de Cuba". To us Olga wasn't a world known celebrity, she was family. Throughout the past 25 years we experienced the highs and lows of life together, comforting each other during difficult moments and celebrating the good ones.
Just a few weeks ago Olga Guillot stopped by Cuban Crafters to visit, as was customary when she was in Miami. She had been traveling but rushed back to Miami because her sister was ill. Olga was 87 years old, strong and full of life. Together we enjoyed drinking Johnnie Walker Blue Label as I smoked cigars with her cousin who 
was visiting from New Jersey. She was concerned about her sister but was taking it well, and even sang part of one of her popular Spanish songs. Little did we know that it would be her last song. Olga Guillot passed away a few days later after suffering a heart attack.
Her wake and funderal was attended by thousands, all remembering Olga the mother, celebrity and Cuban patriot. I couldn't help remembering some of her stories. After Fidel Castro took over Cuba the nightclubs and casinos were shut down by his government. Shortly thereafter she was contacted by Castro's thugs who informed her of the limited venues where she can sing. At the time she was Cuba's top performing artist. When they told her the songs that she can sing, and those she couldn't, she fled the country and became an anti-Castro activist. Fidel Castro banned her music in Cuba and ordered that her name not be mentioned by anyone working for the state-owned television and radio stations. Castro erased her name from history in Cuba.
Olga always did it her way, and left us as the star that she was. She went to the wake of a friend at night where she started feeling chest pains and discomfort. Thinking that it was just indigestion she headed home. In the early morning hours the pain was getting worse so her daughter told her that she was taking her to the hospital. She was rushed out in her nightgown when she stopped and demanded a dress. After getting dressed she put on her makeup. As they were getting ready to leave she stopped again, look down and said "I'm not going in these slippers, get me my high heel shoes". Not wanting to argue with her, the daughter brought the shoes. They matched her dress. She took off her slippers and put on the shoes. As she walked out the door Olga looked back into her home and said that she wasn't coming back and wanted to go out as Olga Guillot, the star.
Olga, we love you and miss you. Once a week I'll look at the special gift you gave me for Hanukkah that sits on my desk and smoke a cigar thinking about all those good times when we celebrated together.
Manly Men Smoke Cigars
The Chicago Tribune newspaper recently ran a photo of what a manly man is. The photo is of Mike Owens in Lake Michigan, smoking a cigar. The article by John Kass has a subtitle that says it all "Tribune photo captures Chicago's iconic Manly Man wading in Lake Michigan smoking a cigar, not eating a wimpy snack."
After the photo appeared in the paper he showed it to a woman "That's manly," said the woman. "He could lose a few pounds, he's bald but he doesn't care, he's smoking a cigar, he's saying to the world, 'I'm (bleeping) golden.'" How true.
The article goes on to say that "Though he appears to be only a few feet from the beach, the water comes up past his ample mid-section...And though he's in the water, he has no intention of actually swimming. He's still got his sunglasses on and his hair is dry. How's a man supposed to enjoy a cigar in the lake if he's swimming? It's just not done. So it's obvious that here's a guy who doesn't give two figs what you think. It's not about looks. It's about attitude."
The article continues on manly men and cigars. "... in the cigar department, if you leave the band on your cigar to advertise that you're smoking an expensive maduro, you're not declaring manly manhood. You're declaring that you're a "spacone," a showoff. Cubans are some of the manliest men in the world and make the finest cigars. And they never leave the band on. Not even Cuban women do that. English gentlemen also snip the band. When they pour you a fine, exquisite and expensive after-dinner drink, they don't tell you how much it costs or how old it is. Instead they say something like, "Try this rather inferior port"."
While most cigar related articles in the media have lately been derogatory about smoking, it's nice to see one that tells the truth about men who smoke cigars.
Florida’s Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp Visits Cuban Crafters Cigars
Florida's Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp recently stopped by Cuban Crafters Cigars to enjoy Cuban coffee, a specially made "pan con chorizo" sandwich and great cigars. Governor Kottkamp was in Miami on official business and while passing through Little Havana found some time to hang-out and relax at Cuban Crafters Cigars' superstore. Coincidentally, City of Miami Commissioner Richard P. Dunn and State Representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall were at the store when the Lieutenant Governor arrived. They took the opportunity to greet him.
Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp is an occasional cigar smoker who prefers medium bodied cigars with lots of taste. 
He has traveled throughout the state of Florida and has visited cigar factories and cigar companies in Miami and Tampa. He clearly understands the rights of cigar smokers in Florida and the importance of the state's cigar industry. Miami, Florida is the mecca of America's cigar industry. While he didn't have enough time to enjoy a cigar during his visit, he bought some Miami hand made Medina 1959 Churchills for the road.
Lt. Governor Kottkamp is an attorney who before becoming an elected official served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Joe Eaton and U.S District Court Judge Sidney Aronovitz. He first ran for public office in 2000, when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. He was subsequently re-elected in 2002 and 2004 and has been Florida's Lt. Governor since January 2, 2007.
For those who are curious, a pan con chorizo sandwich is made with Spanish sausage and manchego cheese (both imported from Spain) in Cuban bread and topped off with the little potato sticks. That and the Cuban sandwich are delicious local favorites.
Cigar Smoking Comedian Jamal Hattar
Walk into Cuban Crafters Cigar Superstore in Miami and you'll find an eclectic group smoking cigars and drinking Cuban coffee. Some you'll recognize, as they are Miami's most notable cigar makers. These legendary cigar makers stop by the store to enjoy the cigars, coffee and a game or two of dominoes. Others are cigar aficionados who enjoy the relaxed environment. One who stands out for his knowledge about cigars and his funny stories about life in America is comedian Jamal Hattar.
Jamal Hattar wears many different hats. At Cuban Crafters he's a cigar enthusiast. At UVA Restaurant and Lounge in Coral Gables, Florida he's the owner and manager. At the IMPROV comedy club in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach he's the funny comedian who gets on the stage with a cigar in hand and makes fun of life in the Middle East and in the USA. To those who know him well, he's the mild-mannered long-haired intellectual with a PH. D. in Economics, a Masters degree in Finance and who always has a cigar between his fingers.
Jamal has been smoking cigars for over five years. He finds it relaxing and with his hectic lifestyle, it's a way to relieve stress. 
As he put it, “My theory is that stress is bad for you. Cigars relieve stress so cigars must be good for you. I smoke between 4 to 5 cigars a day.” When asked about the cigars he prefers, his response was “I was inspired by President Clinton,” as he smokes a large 60 ring gauge cigar. “If Clinton used a big cigar like this Medina 1959 Miami Edition Corona Gorda, Monica would’ve kept her mouth shut.” He continues, "I like full-bodied cigars that burn evenly and give you a nicotine buzz. I prefer darker and Maduro wrappers. I've smoked every Cuban and non-Cuban brand out there. My favorites are the J.L. Salazar Series Maduro Churchill and the Medina 1959 Miami Edition Corona Gorda."
Born in Jerusalem, Israel he came to the United States in 1978 and jokes about being from the Middle East. “Because I’m from the Middle East, after 911 I got a Christmas card in the end of September. I was wondering if the mail in the Middle East was so bad that the Christmas card was 9 months late, or if somebody was very early in sending the card to me. When I read it, it said "We know when you are sleeping, we know if you’re awake, we know if you’ve been bad or good." It was signed by Homeland Security.” “I started looking out my window at home and there was always a government car out there. So I called ADT Security Services and cancelled the alarm service for my house. They asked me why I was cancelling and I told them cause I now have the Homeland Security Company for my house. Why pay when someone watches your house for free in America.”
Jamal started comedy in 2008. “I always enjoyed making people laugh. It started out as joke.” He regularly performs stand-up comedy at Improv Miami, Improv Ft. Lauderlade, Improv West Palm Beach, the South Beach Comedy Festival and the Deco Drive television show. Some of his acts are posted on YouTube and on his site jamalhattar.com. He considers himself an equal opportunity insulter and jokes about the difference in cultures. “One of the things about being in the United State is my son. My wife asked me to talk to my son about safe sex. So I told my son when you go out with a girl, make sure her family doesn’t find out. That’s safe sex in the Middle East.”
Seven years ago he opened his restaurant and night club UVA in Coral Gables, Florida. It's now a Miami landmark and during weekends he'll stand at the door as the patrons stand in line to get in. It's considered one of the best places in Miami for salsa, and is open 5 days a week from 5 pm to the wee hours of the morning. More information is available at UvaLounge.com.
Nicaragua’s Tourism Minister Visits Cuban Crafters
Nicaragua's Minister of Tourism Mario Salinas and Laureano Ortega, son of President Daniel Ortega, visited Cuban Crafters to talk cigars and tourism. They were accompanied by the Honorable Luis Martinez, the Nicaraguan Consulate General in Florida. The cigar industry in Nicaragua plays a vital role in their economy. In the tobacco areas of the north economists estimate that nearly 30 percent of the population, about 500,000 people, work directly or indirectly in the cigar industry. Estelí, where we have our farms, is the center of the cigar-producing and tobacco-growing region.
One of the areas Minister Mario Salinas and Laureano Ortega are focusing in on is the potential tourism that the cigar industry can bring to Nicaragua. Cigar tourism has the potential of bringing cigar aficionados from throughout the USA. The tours would bring cigar smokers to cigar factories and tobacco fields, sort of like the wine tours that are conducted in Napa Valley, California. The visitors will have the opportunity to meet the cigar makers, see how the cigars are hand made, sample a variety of different cigars, learn about the local culture and eat the local cuisine.
After an enjoyable meeting with "Don Kiki" Berger and J.L. Salazar that included smoking Miami and Nicaragua made cigars, and drinking California wine, the Nicaraguan dignitaries toured the large 20,000 square foot Cuban Crafters facility. They offered their support to the cigar industry and their intentions to assist entities that offer tours for cigar enthusiasts.
Mario Salinas Pasos has been the Tourism Minister of Nicaragua since November 2007. During the 80s, Mario Salinas held the positions of Secretary General for the Ministry of Transportation, Vice-Minister of Air Transport and President of the Tourism Corporation, HOTELINSA. From 1988 to September 1990 he was President of the Tourism Corporation, COTUR. From 1991 to 2007 he was the President of the Sooner Group, a company that develops hotels, tourism and commerce. He was appointed by the President of the Republic of Nicaragua as the new Tourism Minister and President of the Nicaragua Tourist Board (INTUR). Minister Salinas has a degree in Architecture from the University of Naples, Italy and a Post-Graduate Degree in Urban Development from the University of Milan. The Minister’s main objective is the development of sustainable tourism in Nicaragua.
Laureano Ortega is son of Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and is an advisor to ProNicaragua, a public and private partnership that promotes and facilitates foreign investments in Nicaragua. Laureano is a cigar smoker and recently announced that the Consulate General Office in Miami will house a tourism office in order to promote Nicaragua as a tourist destination. Tourism is the 2nd largest industry in Nicaragua.
We’ve Lost a Great Actor and a Big Fan – Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper passed away on Saturday, May 29th from prostate cancer. His acting career extends across five decades and during that time he inspired many. At Cuban Crafters we're big fans of the actor, and Dennis Hopper was a big fan of our cigars.
People know Hopper as an Academy and Emmy Award nominated actor, an artist, photographer and collector of modern art. We know Dennis Hopper as all of the above, and also as a sophisticated cigar smoker and cigar collector. Dennis Hopper loved his cigars and while collector's don't usually consume their collection, 
Hopper did, and often. In the art world Hopper was among the world's top 100 collectors of modern art. As a photographer his works have been displayed in museums and galleries throughout the world. As a fellow cigar smoker, he experimented with different brands of cigars but seemed to always smoke Cubans when doing it publicly.
Hopper enjoyed sharing stories about his life and about cigars. His favorite Cubans were Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta. As for non-Cubans he would occasionally smoke Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection (the 60 ring gauge Chairman), 
La Carolina, Medina 1959 Miami Edition and Don Kiki Red and Brown Label cigars. He was introduced to Cuban Crafters cigars through a sampler pack a friend bought for him, and he preferred the medium to full-bodied large ring gauge cigars.
How many cigars did Dennis Hopper smoke daily? No one really knows but filmmaker George Romero was once quoted as saying "We spent more money on Dennis Hopper's cigars than it cost us to make Night of the Living Dead". Of course that was an exaggeration but Hopper did smoke quiet a few cigars daily.
In 1955 Dennis Hopper got his first big break in Rebel Without a Cause, starring with James Dean. In 1956 Giant elevated him even further. After that came Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Trip, Cool Hand Luke, Hang 'em High and then he co-wrote, directed and starred alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider. Thereafter it was True Grit with John Wayne, Apocalypse Now with Marlon Brando, Rumble Fish (a film by Francis Ford Coppola), The Osterman Weekend, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Blue Velvet, Hoosiers, Black Widow, The Pick-up Artist, Flashback, Super Mario Bros., Speed, Search and Destroy, Waterworld, Basquiat, Knockaround Guys with John Malkovich, George Romero's Land of the Dead, Sleepwalking with Charlize Theron, Swing Vote and An American Carol.
Regardless of your age or interests, there's at least one movie that you have seen with Dennis Hopper in it. Now that's a real legacy to leave behind. To Dennis Hopper, this cigar I'm lighting up right now is for you!
Best of the Best Cigar
For those who enjoy the luxury lifestyle the Robb Report's June issue is a must-read. It's the issue that publishes the annual "Best of the Best" awards. The award recognizes products and services of excellence. For 2010 the "Best of the Best" award goes to ...(drum roll)... Berger & Argenti for their CLASICO cigar. Robb Report selected the Berger & Argenti Clasico based on its superior quality, craftsmanship and value.
Here's what Robb Report said:
‘It is unusual for a new cigar brand to garner praise from virtually every individual who smokes it, but that is what seems to have happened with the Berger & Argenti CLASICO (www.bergerargenti.com; $4.50 – $7.50 depending on shape), a joint venture between brothers Albert and Michael Argenti of Miami-based Cuban Imports and Enrique ‘Kiki’ Berger of Miami’s Cuban Crafters. The CLASICO’s distinctive flavor is creamy, with hints of caramel and cocoa, thanks to its well-aged Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed Desflorado wrapper, Cuban-seed Nicaraguan filler, and Nicaraguan Corojo binder. The impressive full-bodied smoke is available in four sizes: the 4 ½ x 46 corona gorda, 5 x 50 rothschild, 5 ¾ x 50 belicoso, and 7 x 50 Churchill. The CLASICO’s unpretentious band and box hardly do it justice, but the cigar is aptly named, for it is, indeed, a classic.’
–Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report
Berger & Argenti CLASICO® cigar is comprised of meticulously blended bold and deeply aged Nicaraguan filler tobaccos cultivated at Tabacalera Esteli, its rich farmland widely considered by cigar makers as among the finest in Nicaragua. The Cuban seed Nicaraguan fillers are sheathed in a sumptuous Nicaraguan Corojo binder and skillfully enveloped in a stalk-cut, molasses-colored Ecuadorian Connecticut seed ‘Desflorado’ wrapper; exhibiting a well-balanced, full-bodied character bursting with a confluence of sweet and spicy flavors. It offers exceptional value through its impeccable craftsmanship. It's totalmente hecho a mano, completely crafted by hand, and fashioned with a mounted, triple cap at the head of each cigar.
For over 30 years, Robb Report magazine has been the authority on connoisseurship for affluent consumers. Robb Report not only showcases the products and services available from the most prestigious luxury brands around the globe, but it also provides its sophisticated readership with detailed insight into a range of subjects. For connoisseurs seeking the very best that life has to offer, Robb Report is the essential luxury resource.
Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist Visits Cuban Crafters Cigars
Florida's Governor Charlie Crist stopped by Cuban Crafters Cigars on Thursday, May 20th to drink Cuban coffee and smoke cigars with his friends and supporters. May 20th is celebrated as Cuba’s Independence Day. The Republic of Cuba gained independence from Spain on May 20, 1902 and went on to ratify the Cuban Constitution. The Governor was in Miami for the celebration.
Governor Crist is a candidate for the United States Senate and invited his Miami campaign volunteers to join him. Over 250 supporters joined Crist and his wife at Cuban Crafters. The Governor thanked each volunteer personally while they drank Cuban coffee, listened to old Cuban songs and smoked special Medina 1959 cigars that were hand made in the Miami cigar factory. The cigars had the Governor's name on the cigar band.
Crist is originally from Tampa, Florida and is a strong supporter of Florida's cigar industry. He's a cigar smoker and his support, as well as that from State Senator Rudy Garcia from Hialeah and State Representative David Rivera from Miami, stopped the state legislature from imposing a $1 a cigar tax last year.
Crist was too busy shaking hands and taking pictures with his supporters to smoke his cigar. Instead he placed the cigar in his shirt pocket for a more relaxing moment.
Cigar Saves Woman
Now it's a proven fact, smoking cigars can save your life. Well it's not exactly as it sounds but in Jacksonville Florida a cigar saved a woman.
An 18-year-old woman who was kidnapped fought off her attacker with a cigar. The woman's 23-year-old boyfriend was checking into a Motel 6 on Youngerman Circle in southwest Jacksonville when he left the 18-year-old woman in the car with the keys inside. While he was inside a man jumped in their Grand Marquis, pointed a gun at the woman and sped off with her still in the car. He saw it happening and thought "that they were going to probably kill her".
After trying to get the man to release her, the kidnapped woman reached down into the car's ashtray, pulled out a burning cigar and stuck it in her kidnapper's face. The kidnapper let her go and grabbed his face. She took advantage of the situation and jumped out of the car. The car was moving at the time and the woman ended up with some minor bumps and bruises. The kidnapper was eventually caught by police. His face sustained minor burns but his ego was up in smoke.
You can see the news video from Channel 4 in Jacksonville.
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