By Bret Schulte
Senior Reporter
( laudia Schiffer is smokin'
C igars, that is. And. it seems, so is everyone else.
Sehiffer's appearance on the cover of the July issue of Cigar
Aficionado represented yet another celebrity endorsement (along
with the beaming mugs of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pierce Brosnan
and James Woods) supporting a trend that is quickly hooking men
and women from all generations: Everybody’s pulling up to a stogie.
In Lincoln, tobacco dealers have noticed the increased interest in cig
ars on a local level, especially among college-aged males and females.
Ted Wright, owner of Ted's Tobacco in the Gateway Shopping
Center, opened a second store at 111 S. 66th St. a year ago to meet the
local demand for quality cigars.
Wright’s son. Mike, who also serves as a store manager, said the
focus on cigars has changed over the years, encouraging the growth
of the fine-cigar market.
"You have more of a premium cigar market now as compared to
the Swisher Sweets and Dutchmasters,” Mike Wright said.
His father confirmed the change in cigar smoking.
"In the '70s the old days - guys smoked cigars every day,” he
said. "They would run through cig
££- ars like George Burns, but they
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with screen idols like Denzel
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RUSS LANGLEY David Letterman commonly tok
ing their favorite cigars during pub
salesman licity photos and celebrity events.
The celebrity endorsement is
not lost on cigar smokers, a fact
not always appreciated.
1 ve been smoking cigars since 1952, said salesman Russ
Langley. “They are relaxing and enjoyable, (but) I think it’s more or
less a fad. Celebs have started pushing cigars now - Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Rush Limbaugh, Letterman - that’s when they
started going sky-high.”
The cost for a quality cigar can be staggering: ranging from S3 to
more than $20. Like any fad, it is constantly evolving and while
Macanudo cigars reigned as popular favorites a year ago, Arturo
Fuente from the Dominican Republic currently seems to be the most
popular brand Ted Wright said.
“They are very hard to get and there is a short supply,” he said. “It
seems to be the favorite of everybody.”
Mike Wright said opting for a cigar rather than a cigarette can be
a habit of maturity.
“It’s kind of being a role of getting older, becoming an adult,” he
said. “Once the college guys experience a cigar they realize it’s dif
ferent than just a fix from a cigarette.”
Although cigarettes continue to face fire for health hazards and
addictive properties, cigars have capitalized on the damage done to
their smoking-industry brethren, oftentimes serving as its alternative.
Langely, a customer at Ted’s Tobacco, said his occupation as a
salesman prompted his conversion to cigars.
“1 stopped smoking cigarettes years ago because of all the mess,”
he said. “It makes people uncomfortable, (and) you’re always look
ing for an ashtray.
“There is a stigma attached to cigarettes, now. And they are worse
for you.”
In addition to the proliferation of tobacco shops, the cigar craze
has donned yet a new face, the cigar bar.
Libations, 317 S. 11th St., has earned itself a local reputation for
its martinis and single-malt scotch menu as well 19 brands of cigars,
from Arturo Fuente to Punch.
“Because of the cigar bar people like to come here,” bartender
Rod Aldred said. “They come in here, have a scotch or martini and a
cigar or two - even the ladies.”
John Maes, a local businessman and patron of Libations, said he
often takes clients to the bar to relax.
“It's far better tobacco than cigarettes," he said. “1 love the aroma
and sense of leisure that comes with quality.”
"And women love a man with a cigar,” piped in his companion, as
she ashed her cigarette.
He agreed.
ABOVE: TED WRIGHT (left), owner of Ted’s
Tobacco, 111 S. 66th St., and manager
Mike Wright have helped provide Lincoln
with premium cigars for more than 20
years. Ted’s two tobacco shops stock
more than 170 brands of premium hand
made cigars.
LEFT: CIGARS CAN BE FOUND in hundreds
of unique shapes and sizes, ranging from
4 inches to well over 10 inches in length.
