Cigar lounge etiquette quiz

Ash. Your ash is an inch long and holding. What do most smokers do?

1. Tap it off every couple of puffs so it never gets long
2. Let it build, then ease it off against the ashtray's edge
3. Knock it off hard against the rim before it can drop

Common practice: Let it build, then ease it off against the ashtray's edge. Most smokers let the ash build and then ease it off against the edge of the tray. Constant tapping is a nervous habit, and nobody wants ash on the carpet.

Finishing. You're done with the cigar. How do you put it out?

1. Grind it out in the ashtray, the way you would a cigarette
2. Rest it in the ashtray and let it go out by itself
3. Douse the lit end in your water glass

Common practice: Rest it in the ashtray and let it go out by itself. Left alone, a cigar goes out by itself. Crushing it splits the leaf and makes a mess of the tray, so most people just set it down.

The band. When do people usually take the band off?

1. Right before lighting, every time
2. Once it warms and slides off easily, or never
3. Never. Taking it off is seen as an insult to the maker.

Common practice: Once it warms and slides off easily, or never. The band is often glued close to the wrapper. Pulling it early can tear the leaf, so many smokers wait until the heat loosens the glue. Leaving it on is fine too.

Cutters. You forgot your cutter. The person next to you has one on the table.

1. Ask if you can borrow it for a second
2. Use it quickly while they're busy talking
3. Bite the cap off; it does the same job

Common practice: Ask if you can borrow it for a second. Ask first. Most cigar people are happy to lend a cutter. Picking up someone's gear without asking reads badly.

Relighting. Your cigar went out halfway down. What's the usual move?

1. Throw it away. Relighting is a faux pas in a lounge.
2. Relight it. A soft blow through it first clears stale smoke.
3. Leave it out. A relit cigar always tastes too harsh to finish.

Common practice: Relight it. A soft blow through it first clears stale smoke.. Cigars go out. Relighting is normal and nobody minds. A soft blow back through the cigar first clears the stale smoke before you toast the foot again.

Gifts. A regular offers you a cigar from his own humidor.

1. Ask what it costs so you can pay him back for it
2. Take it, thank him, and tell him later what you thought
3. Decline politely, since accepting can seem pushy

Common practice: Take it, thank him, and tell him later what you thought. A shared cigar is a social gesture. A thank-you and an honest word about how it smoked is the usual return. Asking the price can turn a gift into a transaction.

Outside cigars. You bring your own cigar into a shop with a lounge.

1. Light up anywhere. Lounges welcome any cigar, wherever it's from.
2. Ask the staff first; many expect a purchase or charge a fee
3. Keep the band covered so nobody sees where it came from

Common practice: Ask the staff first; many expect a purchase or charge a fee. Shop lounges pay their rent by selling cigars. Policies vary from shop to shop, so asking at the counter avoids an awkward moment.

Seats. The lounge is quiet and there's an empty leather chair with a lighter left on the arm.

1. Take it, and set the lighter aside on the table for its owner
2. Pick another seat, or ask around whether it's taken
3. Sit down. A lighter doesn't save a seat.

Common practice: Pick another seat, or ask around whether it's taken. A lighter, a drink or a jacket usually means someone stepped out. Regulars often have a favorite chair, and asking costs nothing.

Smoke. You're deep in conversation with someone across the table.

1. Exhale straight ahead; everyone in a cigar lounge expects smoke
2. Turn your head and send the smoke up or away from them
3. Hold the smoke in until they finish talking

Common practice: Turn your head and send the smoke up or away from them. Even in a room full of smoke, a direct plume to the face is rude. Turning your head is the small courtesy most people notice.

Phones. Your phone rings and it's a long call.

1. Take it at the table, on speaker so both hands stay free
2. Step outside or to a quieter corner for the call
3. Answer at your seat and talk over the room's noise

Common practice: Step outside or to a quieter corner for the call. Lounges trade on conversation and quiet. A quick reply is fine; a long call usually happens outside.

Opinions. Someone is smoking a mild cigar you think is boring.

1. Tell them it's a beginner cigar and suggest a stronger one
2. Ask what they like about it and what else they smoke
3. Offer them something "real" from your own case

Common practice: Ask what they like about it and what else they smoke. Taste is personal. Asking what someone enjoys starts a conversation; telling them they're wrong ends one.

Newcomers. A first-timer asks you how to cut and light his cigar.

1. Show him once, simply, and let him do the cut and light
2. Walk him through the full history of the blend first
3. Point him to a video so he can learn it properly

Common practice: Show him once, simply, and let him do the cut and light. Short and friendly does it. Cut a little of the cap, toast the foot, turn it as it lights. The rest he can pick up over time.