Cigar Coop and Rocky Patel Making his rounds through the southeast, world-famous cigar-maker Rocky Patel made a stop in Greenville South Carolina at Outman Cigars for an event. As usually the case, Rocky drew a big crowd – I’m estimating about 150 people jam-packed Outman Cigars for a great evening. One thing that always strikes […]
The Great Cigar Hoax
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments Events, Gran Habano, Illusione, Kristoff, People, Room 101
Today was one of the premier cigar herfs in the world – the Great Smoke sponsored by Smoke Inn. The Who’s Who of the cigar industry was down in West Palm Beach. While I wasn’t there, I was keeping a keen eye. Suddenly, in the late afternoon, my text messages started going off with something […]
NYC Outdoor Smoking Ban: Whoopi Goldberg Stands Up to the Pleasure Police
William Cooper Uncategorized 1 Comment People, Pleasure Police
This is going to be two firsts on Cigar Coop. A shout out to Whoopi Goldberg and a link to the show “The View”. I have never been a Whoopi fan. I think it was deplorable when she made fun of President George W Bush at a John Kerry fundraiser. For the most part, I […]
Sal Fontana
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments Camacho, Cigar-ebrity, People
This has been one of the roughest weeks the Cigar Industry has endured in some time. Word is now coming out that the legendary Sal Fontana has passed away. Sal had been ill for sometime. He was 86 years old. A World War II veteran, Sal was also one of the brain-trusts with Camacho Cigars. […]
Nathan Saab
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments People
Last week, the cigar industry in the southeast lost one of its more popular people. Nathan Saab was a cigar rep based in North Carolina. Nathan died on January 24th as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident this past December 13th. When I moved to North Carolina back in 2008, I’ve met […]
Breaking News: Gary Hyams departs the CAO Brand and General Cigar
William Cooper Cigar News, Uncategorized 1 Comment CAO, People
In a move that was not unexpected, Gary Hyams formerly Chairman of CAO Cigars is leaving General Cigars. This move comes just a little over four years he was named to this position. With the departures of President Tim Ozgener and Lifestyle Marketing Director, Jon Huber over the past three months, this has was not […]
Post 200: The Cigar Enthusiast
William Cooper Uncategorized 1 Comment Cigar Coop, People
I wanted to think of something special to put up for Post #200 on Cigar Coop. My inspiration for this came from Post #199 – when I discussed how cigar enthusiasts have to deal with substandard conditions on where they can enjoy a cigar. In that post, there was some deliberate wording when I was […]
A Night of Cigar-ebrities – Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and Jeff Borysiewicz
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments Cigar-ebrity, E.P. Carrillo, EPC, Events, People
Cigar Coop (L), Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (C), Lissette Perez-Carrillo (R) Jeff Borysiewicz (L), Cigar Coop (R) The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind to say the least. Tonight I attended the E.P. Carrillo Cigars event at Corona Cigar Company in downtown Orlando. It was an evening where I got to meet and talk to two […]
Larry Amoruso
William Cooper Uncategorized 2 Comments People
Larry Amoruso of Florios It is with great sadness that I have learned that Larry Amoruso, owner of New York’s Florio’s Restaurant and Three Little Indians Cigars has passed away. I learned this information from a friend a little while ago and was able to confirm this on Florio’s Hollywood (Florida) Facebook page that Larry […]
Bill Paley of La Palina Cigars on Fox News
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments Cigar-ebrity, La Palina, People
Cigar Coop with Bill Paley (L) and Glynn Loope (C) Readers of Cigar Coop have heard me rave about La Palina Cigars. I rated two of his sticks in the Top 10 – including one at Number 5 and one at Number 7. Today Bill Paley was a guest on Fox News and did a […]