Tom Johansmeyer of at Luxist.com has just written a short article on his experiences at Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory, where he had the chance to roll his own cigar.  Watching his experience in contrast to that of Don Jose “Pepin” Garcia makes it clear why extensive experience is needed to roll a cigar (more...)

Today is one of those rare winter days when you can take hours away from the usual routine, gather with some friends, and enjoy a good old fashioned football game. Sounds like a good time to don a coat and share some cigars, even if your team doesn’t win. If you’re lucky, you will be watching (more...)

Founded in 1898 by John Dewar & sons, one can’t accuse the Aberfeldy distillery of being the luckiest whisky producer around. During the First World War the distillery was forced to shut down production for 2 years, and after re-opening in 1919 they were once again forced to put production on hold during World War (more...)

With an annual production of nearly 6 million liters, The Glenlivet is a scotch whisky powerhouse, occupying shelf space in nearly every liquor store worldwide. The distillery has a storied history, starting with its founding in 1824, through it's acquisition by Glen Grant in 1953 and Seagrams in 1977 to its current resting place in the portfolio of Pernod Ricard. The often-told story is that George Smith, The Glenlivet's founder, had to carry a pistol when he first obtained a license for his distillery to ward off his hundreds of (illegal) competitors. If you're ever in a sketchy bar and want single malt scotch, chances are they'll have bottles of Glenfiddich 12 and The Glenlivet 12 kicking around. (more...)

We at The Aspiring Gentleman are slowly becoming more tech savvy. Aside from creating a Twitter account, we’ve also recently set up a Facebook page. Because the large majority of our traffic comes from word of mouth, we greatly appreciate you telling your friends and colleagues that we exist. Following us on (more...)

better way to celebrate the anniversary of his birth than with a dram? Sure, I suppose you could sing Auld Lang Syne -- one of Robbie's many poems/songs - while you're drinking. But most importantly, don't miss out on all the great tastings happening in your area. Firstly, check out your local liquor store for tasting events -- a few of the BC Liquor Stores have tastings going on in the next week or two. Also, there will be 3 producers from 3 different Nations hosting a dinner and tasting on the 25th (Monday) at Cascade lounge on Main Street. I have attached the poster which has the details of how to order tickets to the event. (more...)

Do you think spanish cedar humidors are too fancy? Too expensive? Need more space to hold a few boxes of cigars? Want something with incredibly reliable humidity and temperature? Willing to get your hands a little dirty? Enter the coolidor/coolerdor. The idea goes something like this: Purchase or find a cooler, buy a humidifier (beads, floral foam, or similar) and hygrometer, buy some spanish cedar, and throw it all together. Voila! That's really all there is to it. For the handyman, however, you can get much more fancy. You can even use a thermoelectric wine cooler (a.k.a. the fridgeador) -- giving the whole thing a pretty nice look. If the idea of having a large humidor that's incredibly consistent and less than $200 sounds good, this is definitely a solution worth looking into. (more...)

Nora Maynard has written a short Q&A on the shelf-life of spirits. While the content largely parallels that of our recent article on how to store whisky, they've largely ignored the use of wine preservers. Those of us who have very valuable and rare bottles want to be able to cherish them for a considerable amount of time. Wine preservers are the perfect way to make a bottle last beyond the 6 months suggested by Nora. These wine preservers are basically compressed inert gas which you inject into the bottle. The inert gas displaces the oxygen in the bottle, preventing the liquor from oxidizing. You can find them at any fine wine merchant, or even at Amazon. (more...)

Men love a party where they can enjoy a good glass of scotch and a fine cigar. Something about this combination exclaims manliness and men happily partake of them in the company of other men. Parties unfortunately don't last forever, but the worst part of them can: a smelly or stained suit. What happens in the event that some precious liquid falls onto your fine suit? What about getting that cigar smell out of your clothes (sure you love it, but your wife and coworkers don't)? This guide will help you keep the great memories of the party without living with a scotch stain or a suit that smells like cigar smoke. (more...)