The cigar world wouldn't be anywhere without pioneers. These are people who expand their knowledge, and create new ideas or products to expand the industry. Their ideas are what make the industry and community what it is today.
Let's start from the beginning. We wouldn't be enjoying premium cigars if people in the past never figured out we could smoke tobacco. Between 2500 B.C. and 10th Century A.D., the Mayans would roll up tobacco and smoke it. This bunch of tobacco was called a "si'kar". This word led to the modern word "cigar". Fast forward to the late 1400s, Christopher Columbus was one of the most famous world travelers who brought tobacco back to Europe from the new world. This introduced the rest of the world to tobacco, which allowed its popularity to grow.
Another very important person in the cigar's history is Lt. Col. Israel Putnam. Putnam became stranded in Cuba during the British Invasion of Cuba. While he was escaping, he smuggled thousands of Cuban tobacco seeds to his home in Massachusetts. His planting of the seeds created the first Connecticut tobacco, which later became the Connecticut broadleaf we all know today. Another pioneer when it comes to tobacco relocation is Alberto Turrent. Turrent was a Cuban tobacco grower who immigrated to Mexico in the 1880s. When he moved, he also took Cuban tobacco seeds with him. Once he got to Mexico, he planted the seeds in the San Andres Valley, creating the first San Andres tobacco.
The first independent cigar brand was Cabanas, founded by Francisco Cabanas in 1797. Cabanas was the premier Cuban cigar brand. So much so, it became the name for cigars in many areas of the world. Instead of asking for cigars, people would ask for Cabanas, even if the brand was sold at that shop. The original brand lasted from 1797 to 1962, when Castro took control of Cuba and had it discontinued. There is a modern version of Cabanas, which can be found at many cigar shops around the country.
The first cigar band was created in 1855 by a Dutch tobacco grower living in Cuba, Gustave Bock. Bock was looking for a way to separate his cigars from others on the market. To do so, he signed a piece of paper, and wrapped it around his cigars. This eventually led to the creation of the cigar bands we know today. James J. Fox established on of the oldest cigar shops in the world of the same name in 1787. The store, James J. Fox, is located in London, and is still in operation to this day.
Alfred Dunhill created the first cabinet humidor for cigars in 1907. While it is not set up like the one's we have today, the basics were there. Dunhill made the cabinet humidor out of thick wooden walls, and a small water tank at the bottom to keep the cigars humid.
There are also two very famous cigar brands that put their respective countries on the map for cigars. Eduardo Leon Jimenes founded La Aurora in 1903. La Aurora was the first cigar brand in the Dominican Republic. Nicaragua, however, wasn't put on the map until 1968 when Simon Camacho and Juan Francisco Bermejo founded in the Nicaraguan Cigar Company. This company later became Joya De Nicaragua. These brands are both still flourishing today.
The cigar world also has some very influential cigar manufacturers throughout it's history. For example, Arturo Fuente, the founder of Arturo Fuente Cigars, has become a name synonymous with quality and tradition. He founded Arturo Fuente Cigars in 1912. His grandson, Carlito Fuente, also made a name for himself in the world of cigars. On top of expanding the Arturo Fuente brand, he made the Dominican Republic one of the premier cigar wrapper locations. He also established the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation with the Newman Family, and the Fuente Family Foundation. The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation helps families and children in the Dominican Republic get an education, dental care, and medical care. The Fuente Family Foundation helps children and families in the United States.
Jose Orlando Padron, founded Padron Cigars in 1964. Padron left Cuba after Castro took over, and established himself as a carpenter, then tobacco grower soon after. His cigars remain some of the best on the market today, with George Padron at the helm.
Julius Caesar Newman founded the JC Newman Cigar Company in 1895 at the age of 14 in Ohio. Newman's brand grew into a multi-generational operation, which moved to Ybor City, Florida. JC Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family owned cigar brand still rolling cigars in the United States.
Nick Perdomo established Perdomo Cigars in 1992. His operation is unique, as he does everything in house. From growing, rolling, box manufacturing, branding, and cigar bands, everything is done in under the Perdomo name. He even established an irrigation system that provides his tobaccos with the best nutrients Nicaragua has to offer.
August and Hermann Upmann were bankers who traveled to Cuba. While in Cuba, they founded the H. Upmann Cigar Company. While they were establishing the company, they created the first cedar boxes to be used to store and present their cigars. These boxes are the same style boxes you see on the shelves of humidors all across the world.
Lastly, Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel created Drew Estate Cigars in Brooklyn, NY in 1996. While they did not have any prior ties to the cigar industry, they persisted in creating their unique company. Their brand became popular due to one of their cigars, Acid. Acid is still the most sold cigar in the world today. Drew Estate also branded themselves "The Rebirth of Cigars". This was true, because due to their branding, swag, events, and style, they were able to reach the newer generations of cigar smokers, and be their introduction to the world of cigars.
There are three more people I would consider Pioneers of the cigar world. The first is Dave Mayer, owner of the Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop. He acquired the Wooden Indian in 2001, and expanded it from a small store front into a focal point for the cigar community. Since he's taken over, the Wooden Indian has grown into a spacious walk-in humidor, huge lounge, and ever expanding online store that ships nationwide.
David Garofalo is also a modern pioneer in the cigar world. While he has a thriving business with his cigar lounges, 2 Guys, his real impact comes from his podcast, The Cigar Authority. The Cigar Authority has been running since 2010, and was the first real cigar radio show and podcast. It provides information and knowledge to the everyday cigar smoker, and educated people on the industry. It also became the inspiration for many other cigars smokers to start their own podcasts and shows.
Finally, we have Marvin R. Shanken. Shanken created Cigar Aficionado, a magazine for the fine lifestyle of cigars in 1992. The magazine was not only a major player in the cigar boom of the 1990s, but it also was one of the first outlets of cigar media. It provides news of the cigar industry, reviews of different cigars on the market, and lifestyle advice for the cigar smoker.
The cigar world would not be where it is today if it weren't for these pioneers. Their inventions, techniques, and styles led to the enjoyment of cigars around the world. From the simplest thins like the cigar band, to the more complex science of introducing seeds to a whole new land, these pioneers are the reasons we smoke what we smoke.
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