Talking Cigars — Or Not Talking at All

The George Thorogood song “I Drink Alone” goes like this: 

I drink alone

Yeah, with nobody else

I drink alone

Yeah, with nobody else

Yeah, you know, when I drink alone

I prefer to be by myself

That chorus runs through my head often when I’m sitting on the deck with a bourbon and a cigar. It’s not a sad thought — I’m perfectly content left to my own reflections. In truth, I suspect most cigar smoking happens this way: quietly, contemplatively, and in solitude.

That said, I sometimes do miss the Friday nights at our local brewery cigar lounge, which unfortunately closed in May 2024. Those hours spent chatting with fellow enthusiasts were always time well spent. It’s no secret that I enjoy a good conversation about cigars.

A few recent lounge visits reminded me just how different those experiences can be. The two lounges I frequent most often are friendly places — as most cigar lounges tend to be — and I’ve shared plenty of pleasant discussions there. But more often than not, people are content in their own thoughts, perhaps finding the same quiet satisfaction I do.

My recent visits to the OBX Cigar Lounge were a pleasant change of pace. The atmosphere there was conversationally lively — even “robust.” Both times, I found myself caught up in easy, engaging talk that seemed to make my cigar last longer simply because I was puffing less!

By extreme contrast, a visit to another lounge this past week was the opposite experience. Besides the shop employee, three others were present when I arrived. For most of the 75-minute smoke, three were glued to their phones and the fourth to a crossword puzzle. Apart from a polite entrance greeting and the occasional crossword answer, silence ruled the room. It was morning, so perhaps that explained the subdued mood.

Where do you enjoy your cigars — in company or solitude?

Cheers!