Cigars and Sunday Afternoons

I recently read Mark Vittert’s Reflections: “Time with a Cigar” in the St. Louis Business Journal. I was immediately taken by his love affair with the joy of a simple cigar.

Like Mr. Vittert, I too had a relative who loved Dutch Masters. It was my grandpa who loved nothing better than a Michelob, a pizza, and a “fine” Dutch Master to make his day perfect. I almost forgot to include his weekly bowling engagement at the Red Bird Lanes. I am sure there were many cigars there as he bowled until he turned one hundred.

As I got older, Big Guy started to explore different cigars. While I was not always partaking in a whole cigar, I too got to learn the perfect way to smoke a cigar was slowly, with good friends and great food.
The best memory of this was a round of golf at Tower Tee with my FIL and the Big Guy. After my FIL beat us on the greens, we would come home to a home-cooked meal and a fire outside in all kinds of weather. Our ritual was always a cigar and Jameson’s along with great family stories.

I often lamented if I thought my meal was not cooked perfectly, however, it did not matter to my FIL and my Big Guy. I realize now that my FIL is gone, the real treat was the satisfaction of a shared meal and time together around a fire with the perfect drink and cigar. That was and still is our secret to smoking the perfect cigar.