As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, the air is filled with anticipation, excitement, and the promise of a fresh start. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the cheers of joy, cigars can add a touch of elegance and camaraderie to the celebration. Here's a guide to ensure that the act of sharing cigars becomes a memorable and enjoyable part of your New Year's festivities.

Selecting the Right Cigars

Begin by selecting a variety of cigars to cater to the diverse preferences of your guests. Offer a mix of mild, medium, and full-bodied cigars to accommodate both seasoned enthusiasts and those who may be new to cigar smoking. A selection that spans different brands, origins, sizes and pairing options shows your consideration for their own tastes as well as yours.

Proper Storage

If you’re hosting a party at home, storing your cigars for the party becomes much easier. If you’d like to display them in a box (or their original boxes for larger parties), you can take them out of your humidor when the party begins and leave them displayed for the night without any issues as long as you put any that weren’t smoked back in your humidor before going to bed. 

If you’re going to an outside destination, however, it’s important to consider the humidity and travel times to where you’ll be. It’s often dry this time of year, and I’d recommend placing your cigars in an airtight, sealed environment that’s preferably crush-proof. A Tupperware container works perfectly for this endeavor, and will help make sure your cigars aren’t man-handled or suffer from an unexpected bit of rain. If you really want a headache free event, consider tubos (cigars that come inside sealed tubes) for a crushproof, humidified solution with a keepsake afterward. 

Setting the Stage

For your benefit as well as others, it’s essential to provide an assortment of cutters and lighters. Only having one lighter can prove to be a disaster with a crowd, even if you’re lighting the cigars for your guests. 

For cutters, it’s best to keep it simple with straight cutters and V cutters. Hide the punch cutters unless someone specifically asks for it since it’s a common tool for newer cigar enthusiasts to accidentally break the cap. 

When you move on to the next two stages, you may find that you prefer to give a demonstration on the proper cutting and lighting techniques so that everyone can create their own experience. Or you may find that you would rather offer a cutting and lighting to those that aren’t experienced. One doesn’t exclude the other, however, and I’d always recommend providing examples once you’ve set the stage. 

Offering Cigars to Guests

As the host, take the initiative to offer cigars to your guests. Only you can decide if you’ll have an official time to retire to the deck, patio, or room to enjoy cigars or if you’ll allow guests to float back and forth all night.

If you’re not having a specified time, you might attach small tags or paper cut outs with the names of the cigar, a small description, why you chose it for your New Year’s Eve Party, and tasting notes. Any one or all of these things is an extra touch that adds to the excitement. 

If you have a set time in mind, you might talk about these things instead as people decide on which experience they prefer. I’ve found that people care more about why you chose a specific cigar for them and any story behind the brand than the wrapper / binder / filler composition.

Educate and Engage

Not all guests may be seasoned cigar enthusiasts, so take the opportunity to educate and engage everyone in the art of cigar smoking. Many will have questions but will be too afraid to ask. To foster an environment of inclusion and camaraderie, start educating from the very beginning (selection, cut and light) so that everyone feels comfortable.

If you have prior cigarette or other smokers, take care to remind them not to inhale. As well, here are a few tips that never go out of style:

• Encourage them to smoke slowly to savor the flavor and avoid bitterness
• Encourage them to take full puffs rather than shallow puffs that will cause their cigar to go out
• Share tasting notes as new enthusiasts are enjoying a cigar, since most of the time it’s a new sensory experience

Encouraging Conversation

Think back on your favorite cigar lounges. Did they have chairs in a row designed for people to stair at their phones, or did they have chairs arranged in a way that encourages conversation? Instead of just designating a smoking area, consider yourself creating a cigar lounge for the night.

Cigar smoking is a social activity that encourages conversation and connection. If you see someone sitting off to the side, try and include them in while respecting their space. Cigars bring people together - even people that are more introverted.

Pairings

Enhance the cigar-sharing experience by offering a range of pairings. Consider providing a selection of beverages such as whiskey, brandy,  coffee for us old people that can’t reach midnight on our own, or wine for the purists to discuss terroir. Share recommendations for pairings, but always encourage guests to experiment with their own combinations. 

Keepsakes

If you really want to have the party of the century, add a memorable touch by providing commemorative keepsakes. This could be as fancy as having personalized lighters, ashtrays, or cutters to hand out or as simple as cigar tubes. 

Personally, I love the concept of celebrating with tubos. It takes all the guesswork out of storing your cigars for the event and also creates a tangible reminder of your party that guests can take home.

Have Gum on Hand

Lastly, I always recommend having gum on hand in a bowl or tray for afterwards. The last thing a first-time cigar smoker thinks about is how their breath will be the rest of the night, and gum alleviates this to a degree so they can enjoy the rest of their evening without being overly self conscious.