What makes a great cigar dinner, function? Can you recall your most memorable?

[El Presidente]

This weekend I am putting down a run sheet for the Cigar dinner in Shanghai June 25th. The menu's and cigars are all prepared (link at the top of the forum).

Now I have hosted and been part of many cigar dinners over the past 20 years. I actually am not a fan of the traditional sit down cigar dinner. I much prefer a party atmosphere!

I know that Foxy and I can be very entertaining speakers. Mind you that is based on mostly talking to each other at 4 am after a night at the Tuerto.

Will we need translators? I mean Foxy has an Irish twang, and I a thick Aussie accent. Will we need an translator to English first...and then another translator to Shanghainese?

Anyway, that is my problem to solve.

...where was I going with this

Yes...the best Cigar function/dinner/event you have ever been to.

What made it so special for you? Where and when was it?

Share a story or two if you can remember

[Ken Gargett]

best cigar function and why?

the one where you had to cut the price of SLR DC's from 2001 in half, to A$20 a stick, because no one else would buy them.

[El Presidente]

best cigar function and why?

the one where you had to cut the price of SLR DC's from 2001 in half, to A$20 a stick, because no one else would buy them.

This question is only for those who have actually "paid" to go to a cigar function.

[Ken Gargett]

This question is only for those who have actually "paid" to go to a cigar function.

seriously? i paid (in every possible way) full whack for every one of your rorts! if i had not paid, then how could i have claimed them on my tax! (if we have any members from the ATO, joking of course).

i always thought of the 01 SLRs as karma.

[El Presidente]

seriously? i paid (in every possible way) full whack for every one of your rorts! if i had not paid, then how could i have claimed them on my tax! (if we have any members from the ATO, joking of course).

i always thought of the 01 SLRs as karma.

yes...my least favourite event was the one you turned up trashed and upended our wine onto the dirt stating to all and sundry that "We will not drink this swill!"

[El Presidente]

yes...my least favourite event was the one you turned up trashed and upended our wine onto the dirt stating to all and sundry that "We will not drink this swill!"

right before you went upstairs, smoked a cigar and used our $800 Crystal Bugatti Ashtray......which was a display piece for sale.

[LordAnubis]

It's all the people. Good location helps. Good food and drinks help. Maybe an activity or two, but its all about meeting people and the people in attendance being social. Some cigar events i've been to people stick to their own groups and don't budge... not what its about... not to me anyway.

[Ken Gargett]

yes...my least favourite event was the one you turned up trashed and upended our wine onto the dirt stating to all and sundry that "We will not drink this swill!"

right before you went upstairs, smoked a cigar and used our $800 Crystal Bugatti Ashtray......which was a display piece for sale.

1st. it was not my fave event either. it clashed with another event. and you served crap.

2nd, you were serving grandin. it went to a place better than it deserved. truly awful. i am being castigated for a public service. and it was only a bottle or two. seems the nelly no-tastes that rent-a-crowd had supplied had guzzled almost all of it.

3rd, i smoked a cigar i paid for - that hardly seems a crime.

4th, i think it was mini-smithy who provided me with that ashtray. had i known... in fairness, it was bang smack in the middle of the coffee table in the middle of the smoking lounge. i can't think why i thought it was not an actual ashtray.

[Dimmers]

lol love it

[El Presidente]

in fairness, it was bang smack in the middle of the coffee table in the middle of the smoking lounge. i can't think why i thought it was not an actual ashtray.

You idiot. It wasn't a smoking lounge. It was the downstairs reception area/office where you decided to camp your intoxicated self, light a cigar and then use the "for sale" $800 ashtray.

[Ken Gargett]

You idiot. It wasn't a smoking lounge. It was the downstairs reception area/office where you decided to camp your intoxicated self, light a cigar and then use the "for sale" $800 ashtray.

potato potato

[Ken Gargett]

You idiot. It wasn't a smoking lounge. It was the downstairs reception area/office where you decided to camp your intoxicated self, light a cigar and then use the "for sale" $800 ashtray.

hang on. when your employee hosted me there, i asked for an ashtray and that was the one he provided. how that makes me a criminal, i have no idea.

[laficion]

Hi all,

I remember one cigar dinner that I went to which was In London In 11 / 11/ 1993 and that was the lauching of Cohiba, Siglo line In

Europe with the whole crew of C.A. and with Simon Chase and N. Freeman, with the Ambassador of Cuba etc;;

What a night at the Clairidge's Hotel. On the photo, I'm the ,(Guy) on the far left. Simon Is the one standing up .

Amicalement,

Guy

[Ken Gargett]

Hi all,

I remember one cigar dinner that I went to which was In London In 11 / 11/ 1993 and that was the lauching of Cohiba, Siglo line In

Europe with the whole crew of C.A. and with Simon Chase and N. Freeman, with the Ambassador of Cuba etc;;

What a night at the Clairidge's Hotel.

Amicalement,

Guy

guy, i bet the hosts didn't ***** for the next decade just because you used an ashtray.

[CaptainQuintero]

Going to a party with the Ken has to be very high up on my bucket list, i cant even imagine the carnage, like the time he pie-faced that kid on her Birthday for saying she didn't want 'Born to Run' on for musical chairs

http://tinypic.com/r/20acjkn/9

[ErikB]

Haven't been to many so I guess it would have to be the dinners at the Habanos Festival I went to.

I did once dream that I attended Captain Quintero's wedding in Holland though

[laficion]

guy, i bet the hosts didn't ***** for the next decade just because you used an ashtray.

Not the Ashtrays Ken but Marvin Shanken telling everyone that ,"Cigar Aficionado", was not a new BS magazine.

Those were the good days. compared to today ???

Guy

[CaptainQuintero]

Haven't been to many so I guess it would have to be the dinners at the Habanos Festival I went to.

I did once dream that I attended Captain Quintero's wedding in Holland though

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets bizarre foh inspired dreams!!

[Puros Y Vino]

The last 5 Toronto MegaHerf's before patio smoking was banned. The best one being the first in 2011 with El Prez and Hamlet attending.

Good company makes the dinner. The charity fundraising we did also elevated things and got people involved. Our event was an all day party from noon to ~3AM.

[Ken Gargett]

Going to a party with the Ken has to be very high up on my bucket list, i cant even imagine the carnage, like the time he pie-faced that kid on her Birthday for saying she didn't want 'Born to Run' on for musical chairs

http://tinypic.com/r/20acjkn/9

for half a second, i thought how the hell did anyone get a photo of that.

memories of a 21st. but i put no one's head into a cake. i was, as i have said before, an innocent man!

[PapaDisco]

You idiot. It wasn't a smoking lounge. It was the downstairs reception area/office where you decided to camp your intoxicated self, light a cigar and then use the "for sale" $800 ashtray.

Um . . . so is the ashtray now available at a steep discount? I could use a nice ashtray . . .

[PapaDisco]

And to answer the question:

Live jazz is good. Also a proper fireplace. Rooftops are great as well. I could go black tie or party casual, either is just as fun. A proper sit down is only necessary for the dinner portion, otherwise a comfortable lounging space is key, that and appropriate bar/wait staff circulating.

[Bulldog4]

i have 2 favorite times.. first was in havana in 2014 with everyone who attended that year through foh it was at the sushi restaurant just outside havana.. everyone was in a good mood the food and service was amazing conversation was great cigars just tasted that much better for some reason o ya and almost getting caught in flooded havana was even funnier our bus driver was hilarious! my second was in mexico i had brought a bunch of cigars down with me in hopes i could get some of my buddies to try cigars as its a hobby i deeply enjoy anyways we where at the pool bar i sparked one up and before i blinked all my buds had started smoking too. it was great even one of my buddys who has never touched anything to do with smoking had lit up. They still talk about that moment and it was definitely one of the coolest moments i think its the company you have that makes a great event nothing to do with the cigars or setting people make the "events"

[RijkdeGooier]

I have been very fortunate to have been invited to many good events.

As much as I like the whole environment, in the end it's about the people, whether sitting down with famous and interesting people at the Cohiba Atmosphere opening in Antwerp, smoking a cigar with my good friends at their home, having a BBQ with our families, or slowly smoking a humongous Padrino with friends far into the night in an obscure German "Irish Pub".

It's all about the people, the enjoyment of the cigars, the stories and the absence of the 'look at me' factor.

[cooper669]

^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^. It is all about the people. Food, cigars and booze don't make the good time, just enhance it.