The World of Cigar Clubs

Clubs Community and Cigars

Whether you are new to cigars, or have been around you may have noticed cigar clubs. What are cigar clubs? Are they just a cigar subscription, or more than that? I know of a couple of clubs such as Privada and Luxury that not only have a subscription, but they also have a community. The clubs such as Deadleaf, Ash holes, Veterans of the Leaf, Hulagans of the Leaf, Holy Smokes and the like are a social cigar club. The information below came from their websites and interviews conducted with leadership or members of the club. By no means are these all the clubs out there. I did not receive responses from some clubs which is why there may not be more information, or details about them.Cigar

Clubs with Subscriptions:

Privada

Roots

• “I wanted to shake things up. It was all about finding the coolest cigars without paying crazy prices. So, I thought, why not go straight to the source—the folks making them—and cut a better deal? We got a bunch of members on board, kind of like crowdfunding, but it turned into something bigger. This gang of ours, they’re more than members; they’re friends. Together, we’re on a hunt for the best, most unique cigars out there, straight from the top dogs in the game.” (Brian Desind)

What’s the Buzz About the Club?

• “Not everyone’s been a fan of how we roll. The big shots in the cigar world? They just don’t get it. They wonder why we’d want to talk directly to the cigar-making masters instead of the usual fronts. That scares them. They’ve tried to block us, keep us from working with the best factories. But we’re not backing down.” (Brian Desind)

The Future Mission

• “Nothing’s changed. We’re all about finding those rare, aged, top-quality cigars. That’s our jam. Bringing joy and awesome smokes to people’s doorsteps, that’s what Privada’s about. With every box, you don’t know what you’re going to get, but you know it’s going to be good. That’s our promise.” (Brian Desind)

Contact

• If you’re interested in becoming a member or finding out more visit privadacigarclub.com You can follow their socials @privadacigarclub They also have a discord channel for virtual herf.
  

 

Social Cigar Clubs:

DeadLeaf Cigar Club

Roots

• The roots to the club started as they were a part of another club. A conflict of values led to members from that club breaking away and creating DeadLeaf.

Mission

• The mission of the club from what I gathered in the interview is about bringing together people from all walks of life to be united by the love of the leaf. It’s a place to enjoy tobacco, and share laughs together or deep conversation over a cigar.

What’s Exciting About the Club

• The club is around two years old. It is growing with active, kind and passionate members. They have a Travel Humidor to trade cigars with other members. It gives members an opportunity to try new cigars that they may not have access to otherwise.

Virtual Herf

• Another innovative option for members to enjoy a cigar together regardless of location. This is facilitated by the discord application. In person meetings do happen with members going to events together, or reaching out to other members they know that live in an area they are traveling to visit.

Cigar Launch

• The club is coming out with their own stick named Diversity it’s to highlight the clubs mission that all are welcomed to the family.

Group Brainstorming

• Another important aspect of the club. It’s not about leadership telling members what is going to happen rather it’s an openness to listen to the members and make choices as a group.

Challenges

• During the founding of the group the challenge was to find their identity and mission. They didn’t want to copy other clubs.
  Contact- @Deadleafcigarclub on social media. They are working on a website, but it has not launched yet.

 

Hulagans of The Leaf:

Roots

• “We began this group with the hope and idea of supporting our brothers and sisters in the military through Cigars for Warriors. Warriors allows our military brothers and sisters, who may not have access to cigars while stationed around the world, an opportunity to enjoy a good cigar while dealing with the stresses of their everyday life. An opportunity to feel alive. To let go and show that inner Hulagan. A Hulagan is not a person… It is what is within each of us. It is that energy within you that most people rarely get to see. There are many things that make up what we love the most. This could be time with family, playing an instrument or smoking a cigar.It’s about things that bring inner peace.” (Home. Hulagans of The Leaf. (2022, February 7). https://hulagansoftheleaf.com/)

Contact

• You can contact them at https://hulagansoftheleaf.com/ or on socials @Hulagansoftheleaf

Ash Hole:

Roots

• “The Ash Hole Cigar Club LLC was founded on the principles of camaraderie, brotherhood, and a love of cigars. It all started with Dee, who, after frequenting a local cigar lounge, realized that he had made friends with the regulars. He approached Chico and asked if he thought that other guys would be interested in starting their own cigar club. With Chico’s guidance, Dee learned the ins and outs of starting a social club, and Ash Hole Cigar Club LLC was established on October 15, 2015. The original members were united by their passion for cigars and their desire to connect with like-minded individuals.” (“Home.” Ash Hole Cigar Club, www.ashholecigarclubs.com/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2024.)

Mission

• Our mission is to provide a platform where people can come together and enjoy a good smoke. We believe that smoking a cigar is more than just a leisure activity; it’s an art form that brings people together. By creating a space where everyone is welcome, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or economic status, we hope to bridge the gaps between cultures and spark meaningful conversations that celebrate diversity and promote understanding. Join us today and become a part of our vibrant, global community of cigar enthusiasts. (“Home.” Ash Hole Cigar Club, www.ashholecigarclubs.com/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2024.)

Giving Back

• At Ash Hole Cigar Club LLC., we take pride in our commitment to giving back to the community. Since our inception, we have made it our duty to help those in need by organizing and participating in a variety of charitable events. Each of our chapters is required to plan and host at least two charitable events throughout the year, giving them full control over which charity they would like to support. With chapters ranging in size from 5 to 337 members, we have the ability to make a significant impact in the lives of those in need.( “Home.” Ash Hole Cigar Club, www.ashholecigarclubs.com/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2024.)

Contact

• You can find them their website or on social media. https://www.ashholecigarclubs.com/ @Ashholes on social media

Veterans of The Leaf:

Roots

• They started the club in November of 2022. The club was founded to be more than a social club or a place where people show up without commitment. They believe in having requirements for its members. The reason for the requirements is to make sure members are engaged and connecting with others. It’s a brotherhood (brothers & sister) a place to have strong bonds as they did when serving.

Mission

• Building a close brotherhood that helps one another and others though supporting veteran charities.

What’s Unique

• They have requirements for members. They have monthly dues that go to help other members in time of need or charities. Buddy system where an active member reaches out to a newer member to make sure they are doing okay. They had a member that was alone for the holiday and they flew him out for the holiday so he wouldn’t be alone. They host two events a year on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. These rotate in different areas of the country. They have gatherings with members every so often. This year they rented an Airbnb on 130 acres. There will be fishing, steaks, campfires and more. They also have monthly herfs with brands and influential cigar industry figures such as Matt Booth and others.

Members

• They currently have 53 members 80 percent veterans, 10 percent first responder and 10 percent support staff. Members are to have thick skin and not get their feelings hurt. If you know this community it’s one where people crack jokes and give each other a hard time in love. Also, members may be facing mental health issues such as PTSD or other problems. Don’t take it personal, and support the brotherhood through this hard time. New members have a six-month probation period before getting patched in. They will have an active member as their buddy to support them though this time.

Support

• The club supports veteran charities as well as its members in time of need. They have swag such as patches, shirts, dog tags, challenge coins, cigar stands and more. They have a goal in the future to come out with their own cigar where proceeds will go to help the cause and swag for non-members to buy. You can also make a donation if desired on their website. They support causes such as Stogies for Serviceman and many other that help military causes.

Contact

• For more information or to join contact them at veteransoftheleaf.org and on social media @veternas_of_the_leaf

Midwest Misfits:

Roots

• This group started as a regional group when Brian from Privada Cigar Club came up with the idea to create regional groups. These regional groups would gather to try test blends, decide on one they loved, and come up with the band to create a cigar. This led to the groups growing closer and becoming an extended family for the group. “One of the Privada Cigar Club members put out a post in the Privada FB group looking for other people in the area in either late 2021 or early 2022. A number of people responded and we all started talking outside of FB on a couple different apps including Discord. We added people from all over the Chicagoland and NW Indiana area, even a few from Central and Southern IL. Within a few months Privada announced the beginnings of the Regional group program. A number of people in the group expressed interest. Those of us that were interested in the regional group program formed the Midwest Misfits Cigar Club. We started with 12 members, added a few more to make 16 by the time our first release was underway. We continued to grow and are now around 30 members. Initially we were primarily either based in the Midwest or had strong ties or roots here. We now have folks from coast to coast and north to south.” (John Lally)

What is Exciting about the Club?

• “As mentioned previously, we became far more than a group. We became family. We have helped each other through day to day issues and advice, to surgeries and health issues, babies being born, etc.” (John Lally) As I conducted interviews with members it required the theme of a feeling of family with other members. They meet virtually on discord nightly and enjoy cigars, laughing and the sense of family.

What challenges has the club faced?

• “Sometimes choosing a cigar for our release isn’t easy. Our first release, “Uncaged”, was one hell of a great cigar. The benchmark had been set. Our 2nd release had to be at least as good, so did the 3rd and so on. Sometimes getting a consensus can be quite a challenge.” (John Lally) Recently Brian from Privada Cigar Club announced the ending of regional cigar groups. He stated that as Privada is making changes with exciting new things to come they don’t have the capacity to continue with regional groups. It came as a shock to many, but they are grateful for the opportunity they had been given. The Misfits will continue with their group regardless of the news. Brian also stated it’s not the indefinite end for the groups. It may be a pause for now until the changes are made at Privada.

What’s the future hold for the club?

• “We look forward to releasing more cigars in our series and story (yes there is a chapter in the story with every release). As great as the releases are, the key thing is the family aspect. We will continue to get together at events, as we all travel, or even our herfs on Discord most every evening.” (John Lally)

How can people get more information about the club or join a local group?

• Midwest Misfits Cigars [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/midwestmisfitscigars https://www.instagram.com/midwest_misfits_cigars/

Holy Smokes Club:

Roots

• HISTORY OF HOLY SMOKES: Private and inclusive. Holy Smokes Club is for those who love to fellowship and smoke cigars! We meet at homes, by the fire and also at the Cigar Lounge! CLUB MEMBERSHIP Becoming a member of the Holy Smokes Club is simple and begins with 3 Simple “STEPS”.
  • Attend or start a Holy Smokes
  • Register your Holy Smokes Group
  • Agree to terms and conditions of membership (“Home.” Holy Smokes, 18 Nov. 2021, www.holysmokes.club/.)
• I have not received a response back yet from this club. I’m assuming the roots come from a bible faith-based church. They must have had members that enjoy smoking cigars, and learning how to be more like Jesus. From there it must have grown and spread to other locations. They also have a Podcast to learn more about the club. The link to the podcast can be found on their website.

Meeting

• From what I gathered they meet in small groups at homes, lounges and other locations to study scriptures and enjoy a great smoke.
  Joining – They have a website and Instagram where they can be contacted to find a local group close to you, or to get a Holy Smokes group started in your area if you feel led to do so. I’m not sure of the requirements, but they may be more than happy to help you along the way.

Cigar

• They also have a cigar out the Holy Smokes Genesis cigar which can be purchased at Privada Cigar Club, or wherever you can find it online.

Contact

• @holysmokescigarclub or https://www.holysmokes.club/

Conclusion

In conclusion if you have a club or are a part of one share your thoughts in the comments. Why did you join? How is it in your club? What benefits have you noticed from being a part of a club? To stay informed on Cigar, Culture and the like follow Cigar Public at CigarPublic.com or social media @CigarPublicOfficial. If you have an idea or a topic you would like to see covered send an email to [email protected] or myself at [email protected] or on socials @johnnysHavana