Nothing in the world like a great meal with terrific people, good wine and fun conversation – it makes you slow down and appreciate life a bit more. Our next stop after dinner was to hit the famed Club Macanudo on 63rd Street for drinks and a bevy of fine cigars. The air was cold and crisp and instead of taking a cab, we decided that walking off our meals might just be the best thing. So we headed across Columbus Circle for the twenty-minute jaunt along Central Park South amongst nightlife goers and the horse drawn carriages.  I drew two Hoyo de Monterrey Certified 2002 Vintage www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm from my pocket and said, “Hey, why wait, right – there’s no better time than now.” As we clipped, lit, and took those first heavenly puffs it actually felt kind of special to be alive and strolling about like time didn’t matter.

We reached Club Macanudo www.clubmacanudo.com greeted by Manager James Plavoukos who is always genuinely happy to see his customers and make sure we always have the best time – which of course we certainly did. The nostalgic atmosphere is a kind of like a throwback to old Miami, with wood and earth tones surrounding a spectacular central bar – a real pleasure palace for the guys but the ladies love it equally. The libations, desserts, coffees, and of course the cigars – we were like kings and queens for the evening enjoying the best of what life has to offer. Yeah my peeps, we were livin’ large. It was kind of a classic “New York” night and as my friend put it, “People travel across the world just to have a night like that.”

It seems that only a cigar could bring about an evening with such warm passion and fond, lasting memories. The cigar is simply the world’s most incredible bonding tool. The alluring scent and ritualistic lighting and puffing can make the average night great, and a great night unforgettable. It is times like these that I am so grateful that I smoke fine cigars. I am so grateful that I have come to know the wonders of aged tobacco from far away lands basking in warm tropical breezes and indigenous island palms. No matter if strolling the Manhattan skyline or relaxing on your back deck, casting flies into a stream or a game of Texas Hold ‘Em with the guys, the cigar in your hand is the common thread that brings it all together.

In today’s world where so many are offended by our love for the cigar, great times may become fewer and farer between. There are those in our political system who wish to eradicate smoking to the point of prohibition, and as history has shown us, that sort of thing never goes over very well. Human nature kind of says – tell someone they can’t have something and they want it all the more. We as a group – a brotherhood – need to stick together and do whatever possible to keep safe the hobby we love and cherish.

Last week I had a great conversation with Norm Sharpe, president of the Cigar Association of America. Norm works daily at protecting our rights and making sure the legislatures don’t destroy this love and passion of ours. Norm gave me a low down on the state of the union of the cigar industry and what we can do and expect as time moves forward. Sometime this week I’ll share pieces of that interview with my faithful brethren at this blog as we all stay steadfast in preserving one of our lives most appreciated treasures.

It just so happens that it’s an amazing 60 plus degrees here in northern New Jersey on this Presidents Day and I am going to celebrate with several wonderful stogies of my choosing. La Finca Figurados www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm and the H. Upmann Signature Magnum. www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm