The American Cigar Making Tradition

Yesterday, the United States celebrated 250 years of independence! We hope you celebrated with one of the limited edition cigars created for that occasion. If not, we still have a few left. Enjoy one today!

The only one of those limited edition cigars made in the United States is the JC Newman America250. We are proud to carry JC Newman cigars and were pleased to get an email from Drew Newman with a few details about the cigar making tradition in the United States. We share some of them here...

As you may know, tobacco played a critical role in the founding of our country. Beginning when the first commercial tobacco crop was planted in Virginia in 1612, tobacco fueled the economy of the American Colonies. Many founders, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, grew tobacco. At the time of the American Revolution, tobacco was grown and cigars were rolled in all 13 Colonies. Benjamin Franklin even pledged 5 million pounds of tobacco to help secure France's support for the Revolutionary War. Tobacco played an indispensable role in the founding and early growth of the United States.

When my great-grandfather founded our family business in 1895, there were 40,000 cigar factories in America. Four generations and 131 years later, our historic El Reloj factory in Tampa is the last traditional cigar factory still operating in the United States. By keeping our Tampa cigar factory open and rolling America250 cigars, we are helping keep America's historic cigar-making tradition alive.

As you and your customers gather with family and friends to celebrate the Fourth of July this weekend, we hope you will light up one of our America250 cigars. I also invite you to watch and share with your customers and followers The American Story, a 20-minute documentary chronicling the centuries-old tradition of American cigar making. The film showcases the farmers, cigar rollers, box makers, and craftspeople who create The American, our 100% all-American cigar.

And if you have not yet visited our historic El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, we hope you will. We would be honored to show you how we are keeping America’s historic cigar-making tradition alive. Happy Independence Day!

For more than 131 years, the Newman family has been dedicated to preserving the centuries-old art of premium cigar making. From the company founding in Cleveland, Ohio, to the flourishing factory in Tampa, Florida, their family's story is deeply woven into America's cigar making tradition.

FOX 13 Tampa Bay ran a special story highlighting the historic El Reloj cigar factory — the last large cigar factory in the United States — and the America250. The segment shares a bit more about preservation of the centuries-old art of premium cigar making while celebrating our nation’s rich history. Light up a Diamond Crown, Brick House, or America250 and enjoy both videos.