Cigar Etiquette for Beginners

Cigar etiquette comes down to courtesy: ask before you light up around others, respect the place you are in, and let a cigar go out on its own. The fussy "rules" you may have heard matter far less than being considerate.

Around other people

• Ask first. Before lighting up anywhere that is not clearly a smoking area — a friend's patio, a golf cart, a campsite — ask. Most people appreciate it even when the answer is yes.
• Watch the wind. Sit so your smoke drifts away from people who are not smoking, and especially away from food.
• Do not wave it around. Hold your cigar still when you talk, and do not point with it.
• Follow local rules. Smoking laws vary a lot by city and state. Check before lighting up somewhere new.

At a cigar lounge

• Buy from the shop if you are smoking in their lounge. If you bring your own, ask whether there is a fee first; many lounges charge one, much like corkage at a restaurant.
• Keep your ash in the ashtray. Never on the floor, the furniture or the carpet.
• Ask for help. Staff are happy to recommend a cigar or lend a cutter. Nobody expects a beginner to know everything.
• Join the conversation. Lounges are social places, and "what are you smoking?" is always a fine way to start talking.

Sharing and gifting

• Offering a cigar is a generous gesture. If you pull one out in company, it is polite to offer one to the others if you can.
• Accept gracefully. If someone gives you a cigar, thank them. You do not have to smoke it on the spot.
• Do not ask for a cigar from someone's personal stash unless they offer.
• Gifting to a new smoker? Pick something mild, or give a sampler so they can explore.

Finishing your cigar

• Let it die naturally. Rest it in the ashtray and it will go out on its own. Crushing it releases a burst of stale, unpleasant smoke.
• Do not leave it smoldering in a shared space; move it to an ashtray away from people if needed.
• Clean up after yourself, especially outdoors. Cigar butts and bands are litter.

A few "rules" you can relax about

• The band: leave it on or take it off once it loosens. Both are fine.
• The ash: there is no need to keep a long ash as a trick. Tap it off whenever you like.
• Your drink: whiskey, rum, coffee, beer or water all go well with a cigar. Drink what you enjoy.