Welcome to Intercigarviews! Alex is the general maneger of Ruby’s Elixir and Central Cigars in St. Petersburg, Florida. He spent 4 years in active duty with the Air Force stationed at Vandenberg AFB, CA at the Joint Space Operation’s Center (JSpOC) as a Space Operations Intelligence Analyst. It is fascinating the various backgrounds we find in the cigar family which we have seen time and time again how we all support the industry on the street level.
Here is his cigar story.
How did you cope and navigate through the pandemic at Central Cigars and Ruby’s?
So we have two sides of the business: one is Central Cigars and the other is Ruby’s.
Ruby’s is the music venue with just a straight up bar, so we were closed down completely on that side along with everyone else on St. Patty’s Day. There was the 2 1/2 week span in June where we were able to open up with 50% capacity and we were able to have music again, and then the rug was pulled out from under us when the notorious roll-back tweet came out from the DBPR.
However we got creative and built a small kitchen where our VIP area used to be and were able to open back up as a restaurant the first weekend of September. Since we have the food on that side now, we have decided to go non-smoking on Ruby’s side The response to being smoke-free on that side has been incredibly positive as the biggest complaint from people about Ruby’s has been the smoking. We have been able to draw in people who normally have avoided us because of this fact. Those who still want to smoke have the connected cigar bar and we have outside seating, so more boxes are checked for more people. We were able to get a couple good weekends in before everything opened back up. September was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be, though we are still feeling the effects.
We had to pivot all the way through the shut down on the Central Cigars side but because we did, we were able to stay open in some form or fashion the entire time though we were incredibly limited. A lot of the time, we were limited to only retail sales or that plus drinks to-go, but we were able to keep the rent paid, lights on, and staff employed throughout, which is a win on so many levels. We will be feeling the brunt of the financial losses for a bit but the owner and our staff have been invigorated by the opportunities provided by a pretty negative situation and we hit the ground running once we got all of our doors back open.
Do you feel like this has been a learning experience for you and the business?
I definitely feel for those cigar bars/lounges and music venues that weren’t able to keep their doors after all is/was said and done. Both types of businesses are very special places for a lot of people between staff and customers. And with the service industry being hit as hard as it was, one may think that the burden (in this context) of having one of each would be too much to handle. But Central Cigars has been open for 23 years and Ruby’s Elixir for 9, so our cigar regulars kept us going during and the Ruby’s customers have been incredibly supportive now that we are back. Our, Greg Haddad, is a great businessman and has been our guiding light through it all. He did what needed to be done for us to be able to weather the storm. And the fact that he was able to keep the staff from both bars employed and paid the whole time shows what type of guy he is. And we have such a special staff. We are very close-knit and we all work so well together that we become greater than the sum of our parts. I can’t say enough about the people I’m lucky enough to work with everyday.
What a great success story and best of luck to you guys, now let’s get some personal details.
What was it about cigars that drew you to them?
It was actually a suggestion from a buddy of mine my senior year of high school. Before that, I had never even really considered smoking anything.
First cigar you smoked?
First cigar was a Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real. It was with a group of high school friends at my girlfriend’s house. We were all sitting by the pool on a Friday night (I remember it was Friday because it was the first Friday after football season ended).I didn’t really get all that much out of it, honestly. Of course, I wasn’t able to avoid inhaling a couple times so we all were having some coughing fits but we all made it through. Smoked about half of it before we decided to let them go out.
What is your fondest memory of smoking a cigar?
This might be the most difficult question out of all of them. My fondest memory might actually be with my ex-father-in-law. He is the one who truly mentored me in the world of cigars. But the memory itself is of him and me, sitting at the table that was on his back patio by the pool. We each had a glass of rum and coke, nothing special. But we were playing chess. I was smoking a CAO Brasilia and he had a Thompson Cigar Co. VSOP, his go-to bundle stick. We would play a couple moves and then talk a little bit before getting back to the game. That game took hours. But it was a great time spent and that was my favorite game of chess that I lost.
How long have you been enjoying cigars and about how many per week?
I am in year 16 of my cigar journey. I used to only smoke them occasionally however now I can be up to around 15-20/week.
What are some of your favorite settings to enjoy a cigar?
Smoking is fun while on a boat, even though I find I don’t really get a chance to enjoy the complexities of it. I smoke at work daily and so hanging out with my regulars is fun because of all the random stuff we talk about. Smoking by a fire pit is great when the weather is right and paired with the right whisk(e)y. One of my favorite settings is on a patio, preferably by a pool, paired with whiskies, with a small handful of friends and really having in-depth conversation about the cigars and liquor. Not about what all else is going on in the world. Just really diving into the moment and comparing notes. That is by far my favorite.
The best cigar you ever had?
My first Atabey Ritos. That is pretty much my favorite cigar at any price point. I had it for the first time in 2018; Atabey is made by United Cigar Group and manufactured in Costa Rica; Ritos is a 55 x 6 1/8”; I had it at my cigar bar.
In your experience what determines a good cigar?
I feel that construction is the most important thing when it comes to a quality cigar. It plays such a huge role in the experience that you can’t really get around it. If a cigar is perfectly constructed, that means it is aesthetically pleasing, the draw is easy enough but with just enough resistance, the cigar isn’t too tightly rolled where you have to work at it and make it burn hotter (meaning it burns harsher, thus negatively impacting the flavor), and you can put the cigar down for even a little longer than your normal smoking tempo and it’ll still be lit and burning smoothly all the way down. Construction is integral in the quality of the overall smoking experience.
How would you describe your cigar journey?
It started off as an occasional hobby. Then, I married into a cigar family, which meant I had the very fortunate opportunity to learn about the premium tobacco industry from within, to an extent. I never in my life had any intention of getting into the cigar industry however I spent so much time with my father-in-law at the time that I was a sponge. It was something that I started to do more frequently and my curiosity was piqued, but I was still so early in my journey. However, regardless of what I was doing in my life for a job or a career, I can confidently say that cigars have been the only true constant throughout my entire adult life. Now that I am in the cigar industry, I am able to leverage that knowledge base to push my passion to new extents, now becoming a Certified Retail Tobacconist and General Manager of a cigar bar. I live for cigars and the more I learn, the more I realize I will never know everything.
What advice would you give someone just getting into cigars?
Don’t be intimidated when listening to other people talk about cigars and what their experiences are. We all started from square one. Just because you can’t pick out “cedar” or “leather” or “cinnamon” or “earth” doesn’t mean you won’t be able to develop your palate over time. And your palate WILL be different than others’. So take your time, keep some sort of journal to track you experiences, and take your time. Rome wasn’t built overnight and everyone’s journey is their own to travel. Enjoy it, document it, share it with as many people as possible. But it is your own.
What is your favorite size cigar and cut?
Both depend on my mood. I typically will smoke all toros for a couple months, then will go to all robustos for a couple months, and back and forth. I do enjoy the occasional lancero and gordo, but if I had to pick one, I’d probably say the robusto. I get the most out of a straight cut, flavor-wise, though I will use a v-cut if I want to make a cigar last a little bit longer and get more time out of it. I prefer the straight cut over the v-cut, though.
Thanks for sharing your inspiring story!
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