A Modern Gentleman's Guide to Cigar Etiquette

A Modern Gentleman's Guide to Cigar Etiquette

Cigars occupy a peculiar corner of gentlemanly culture. They can mark a wedding, celebrate a promotion, accompany a glass of whisky after dinner, or simply provide an excuse for a few friends to sit outside and talk without staring at their phones.

But cigar smoking also comes with traditions, rituals and, perhaps most importantly, considerations for the people around you. Modern cigar etiquette is therefore less about memorizing an elaborate Victorian rulebook and more about understanding the customs while exercising a little common sense.

Here are the basics every gentleman should know.

Know Where You Can Smoke

The first rule is also the simplest: don't assume everyone wants to participate in your cigar.

Cigar smoke is particularly noticeable and can linger on clothing, furniture and hair. Even people who enjoy the occasional cigar may not want one drifting across a dinner table.

Smoke only where it is clearly permitted and socially appropriate. A cigar lounge is easy. A private patio requires more judgment. If you're at someone's home, ask before lighting up, even when you're outdoors.

And if you're standing near children, a restaurant patio full of diners or someone obviously trying to avoid the smoke, move.

Good etiquette begins before the cigar is even lit.

Don't Show Off

Cigar culture has its share of expensive labels, limited editions, elaborate humidors and collectible accessories. Enjoy them, certainly, but don't turn the evening into a seminar on your purchasing power.

A gentleman doesn't need to announce that his cigar cost $60.

If someone asks what you're smoking, tell them. If they're genuinely interested, explain why you like it. But relentlessly discussing wrapper leaves, production quantities and auction prices can quickly transform a pleasant conversation into an unsolicited lecture.

The cigar should accompany the evening, not become your entire personality.

Cutting the Cigar

Most premium cigars have a closed cap at the end that goes into your mouth. This needs to be opened before smoking.

A straight guillotine cutter is the easiest option for beginners, although punches and V-cutters are also common.

The objective is to remove enough of the cap to create an easy draw without cutting so deeply that the cigar begins to unravel.

One tradition worth abandoning is biting the end off. It worked for Clint Eastwood. For everybody else, a cutter is preferable.

If someone offers you a cutter, use it carefully and return it rather than casually pocketing it alongside your lighter.

Lighting It Properly

Lighting a cigar isn't quite the same as lighting a cigarette.

Begin by holding the flame close to the foot—the open end of the cigar—without immediately burying it in the flame. Rotate the cigar slowly, allowing the heat to toast the tobacco evenly.

Then place the cigar in your mouth and gently draw while continuing to rotate it above the flame.

Butane torch lighters are popular because they're efficient, particularly outdoors. Traditional soft-flame lighters and long wooden matches also work well.

Avoid petrol-based lighters when possible because their smell can interfere with the cigar's flavour.

And never light someone else's cigar while it's in their mouth. Hand them the lighter.

Don't Inhale

Cigar smoke generally isn't inhaled into the lungs.

Instead, draw the smoke into your mouth, taste it briefly and release it. Cigars are smoked slowly, which is part of the appeal.

A premium cigar might last anywhere from 30 minutes to well over an hour. There is no reason to race through it.

Constant, aggressive puffing can also overheat the tobacco, producing harsher flavours.

Think leisurely conversation rather than cigarette break.

Respect the Ash

You've probably seen photographs of cigar smokers balancing an improbably long column of ash. There is some practical logic behind allowing ash to develop—it can help regulate the cigar's burn—but there is no prize for producing a three-inch monument.

When the ash reaches roughly an inch or looks ready to fall, gently tap or roll it into an ashtray.

Do not flick cigar ash across someone's garden, balcony or floor.

That sentence probably shouldn't need to exist. Experience suggests otherwise.

Don't Crush It Out

When you're finished with a cigar, resist the instinct to grind it into the ashtray like a cigarette.

Simply place it in the ashtray and allow it to extinguish naturally.

Crushing a cigar produces an unpleasant burst of smoke and smell while also creating an unnecessary mess.

Once it's finished, it's finished.

Offering Cigars

If you're hosting and intend to smoke, offering cigars to interested guests is a gracious touch.

Don't pressure anyone into accepting one.

For newcomers, consider offering something mild and reasonably sized rather than handing them an enormous full-bodied cigar that requires a 90-minute commitment.

Likewise, there's nothing insulting about someone declining. A cigar is an invitation, not a test of masculinity.

The Modern Rule

Traditional cigar etiquette contains dozens of customs, but nearly all of them can be condensed into one principle:

Enjoy your cigar without making your cigar everyone else's problem.

Learn how to cut and light one properly. Smoke slowly. Respect the people around you. Don't treat price as a substitute for taste, and don't transform a relaxing ritual into competitive theatre.

Because ultimately, the cigar isn't what makes someone a gentleman.

Knowing how to enjoy one while remaining considerate of everybody else just might.