Cigar 101 – BCP’s Guide to Cold Weather Smoking

I’m generally not the kind of guy who will shy away from a smoke because it’s cold out. I don’t have an indoor smoking space—we can’t smoke at the office and there’s no smoking at bars or restaurants in New York—so my only consistent option right now is to throw on a few layers, put on the gloves and hat, and light up on the front porch no matter how chilly it is.

But sometimes it’s so cold out that you can barely taste the cigar or think about anything besides how long it’ll take for your fingers to freeze off. When you’re shivering, drinking a partially frozen beer, and relighting every five minutes because of the wind, it goes without saying you’re wasting a good stogie.

For some reason, indoor cigar smoking is a lot more frowned upon than indoor cigarette smoking. I’ve been told—in cigarette smoke-filled rooms, mind you—not to light up a cigar because “it’s impossible to get that smell out!” Baffling, but nevertheless, it’s not worth it to fight someone over a warm place to smoke.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to get away with smoking indoors even if it’s “not allowed,” by spouses, significant others, roommates, or whoever. One way is to sit by the oven and blow the smoke into the exhaust vent. This will get the majority of the smoke out of the room, though it might linger for an hour or two.

Another way is to set up a fan in an open window facing outward. It’s not the best way to go about things if you’re concerned about heat loss, but it’ll definitely get rid of the smoke (just make sure the storm window is open). That way you don’t have to yell over an obnoxiously loud exhaust fan when you’re trying to have a conversation.

Scott, our customer service/computer ace, suggested buying an old van and leaving it in the parking lot specifically for cold weather cigar smoking. I, for one, am all for it—smoking in a sweet Winnebago definitely beats freezing your ass off in the parking lot. Another blogger suggested setting up a tent in your backyard. While not necessarily toasty, it would block the wind at the very least.

The bottom line is, I’ll smoke outside if I have to, but I’d like to not have to. Does anybody have more suggestions for us cigar aficionados who are unlucky enough to live in smoke-free homes?