Would you drink wine solely because you thought it gave you a health benefit? Science seems to be behind the wine industry, exalting the phenolics and other natural compounds present in wine. Heart disease prevention would likely be the most common reason if you polled those who said yes to the first question. What about the romantic factor? The wool and boot clad vineyard worker clipping away shoots is probably the enduring image that wine has in our society, not unlike coffee and Juan Valdez. I’ve even heard the assertion that we …

The Perdomo family has a rich history in the cigar and tobacco industry that can be traced back to San Jose de las Lajas, Cuba.  Silvio Perdomo, the patriarch of the family, apprenticed with Cuesta y Cia. in the early 1930’s before leaving to practice his art at the H. Upmann factory from 1937 to 1945; and at the famed Partagas factory until 1959.  Things took a harsh turn for the family during the Cuban Revolution, and I highly suggest you read about it when you can since those events …

Any time a new product hits the shelves en masse and becomes the next big thing, we as consumers can either light up the red flag of skepticism, or jump right into the fold like a proper hipster. Pumpkin Beer, which has flooded store shelves over the last few weeks, should send up a few of those red flags. First of all, why do pumpkins and beer need to have any sort or relationship whatsoever? Granted, they do both have a symbolic connection to all things fall and October, but I don’t …

Lighters are often overlooked in the world of cigars, but they’re really something you should pay attention to.  There are tons of choices for lighters ranging from Zippos to Bics to Xikar torches.  The question is what’s a good choice?  Well, let’s rule out soft flame lighters like traditional Zippos and cheap Bics, which will impart the flavor of the fuel onto the cigar.  That leaves us with butane torch lighters which will burn cleanly and let you taste only the tobacco.  What, then, would be a good choice?  Let’s …

Zino is a relative newcomer to the cigar industry, and is marketed towards the more urban lifestyle and younger generations.  Their image is that of the young aficionado who enjoys the high life but still has their finger on the pulse of what the current trends are, mixing style and flash into the mix as well.  They’re known for a quality product with modern packaging that speaks to younger cigar smokers, and they do it quite well.  Along with that, they’re known for a flavorful cigar and have a loyal …

After almost a year of roasting my own coffee beans, and writing about the basics of roasting at home, I’ve encountered a fair number of coffee flavour experiences, drinking coffees from various geographic regions, roasted to different colours, and prepared with various coffee makers.  Learning how coffee varies from region to region in appearance and flavour could be considered the reward of home roasting, other than cost of course. Much like whisky, the nuances of coffee flavours are lost those first few times you look for them. The two beverages, …