We're always on the lookout for the next event to smoke one of those cigars we've put away for a special day, or to share a box with friends and family we haven't seen in a while. Well, we think we've found it...St Patrick's Day! A day of celebration, remembrance and revelry.
St Patrick's Day was initially celebrated in the United Kingdom, but now Canada, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand also pay tribute to it. The day takes place on the 17th of March to commemorate the death of St. Patrick, a missionary who travelled to Ireland in the 5th century to convert Irish Pagans into Christians.
Historically, it was celebrated by lifting the Lenten prohibitions, allowing families to consume meat and celebrate with dancing, eating traditional Irish cuisine and toasting typically Irish drinks such as Guinness and Whiskey. Not much has changed over the years, but now parades and events are hosted worldwide to continue the tradition.
Since the custom is to enjoy luxurious things, smoking Cuban Cigars has become a very popular thing to do on St. Patrick's Day, particularly when combined with its partner in crime, whiskey. Many cigar smokers enjoy opening up their humidor and smoking their Limited Edition Cuban Cigars or buy Cohiba Cigars online in bulk weeks before the day to enjoy with their friends and family.
There a number of things you can do to celebrate St Patrick’s day this year, but these are some of the ways we would with one of our Cuban Cigars.
Go to an event:
JJ Fox Cigars is a fantastic and renowned Cigar Shop on the busy and bustling street of St James Street, in the very centre of London. The shop holds various events over the course of the year which are very popular amongst many citizens of the world. The main reason for this is because not only does the famous tobacco business have the largest humidor and sampling lounge in the U.K, but they also curate entertaining and fun-filled evenings. One such event is the St Patrick’s Day Party being held tonight, the 15th of March. Attendees can expect a night full of playful debauchery, with the pairing of Yellow Spot Whiskey and the H. Upmann Anejados Robusto Cigar whilst being entertained by a live Irish folk band. As far as we are aware there are still tickets going spare, so be quick to grab yours while you still can.
Pair your cigar with an Irish whiskey:
We’ve always said that the pairing of whiskies with Cuban Cigars is one of the most enjoyable ways to relax and unwind (see our previous EGM Cuban Cigar Blog post: The Perfect Pair). Over the years we have gotten better at combining particular cigars with the finest whiskies and would now call ourselves Habanosommeliers in the making (we said in the making!). We believe it's best to match lighter profiled cigars with lighter whiskies and so on, especially avoiding any whiskey that is particularly peaty as this will overpower even the strongest cigar - what a waste! Our go to combination would be The Redbreast 12 year Irish Whiskey with the robust and powerful Roman Allones Specially Selected Cigar. We highly recommend this pairing because the strong, intense flavours in both compliment and flatter each other perfectly.
Or just simply share your Cigars with friends and a Guinness:
It doesn't have to be a show, a parade or a party, you can also celebrate with a simple pint of Guinness and a couple of your favourite cigars in the company of your closest friends. Did you remember to buy the Cohiba Esplendidos Box of 25 or the Cohiba Behike 52 Box to share with your companions this weekend? We stock a variety of fantastic cigars perfect for an occasion like this, so make sure you get yours for the next one!
If you’re celebrating St. Patricks Day, show us what you’re pairing your cigars with by tagging us on Instagram and be sure to follow us at @egm_cigars.