Founder's Pick · May 2026: Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado
Peter Roth's May 2026 Founder's Pick - why the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado belongs in every serious humidor, and which venues should stock it heading into summer.
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The cigar retailer playbook.
Real-world tactics from a distributor who also runs retail, hospitality, and e-commerce cigar businesses.
How Cigar Allocation Actually Works (An Honest Education)
The straight explainer on cigar allocation in the U.S. premium market - how factories decide which distributors receive limited releases, how distributors decide which retailers get access, and why the whole system is less glamorous than the marketing implies. Written by a wholesaler.
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Adding Cigars to a Vape Shop: Regulatory, Margin, and Merchandising (The Full Picture)
The operational deep-dive for vape shop owners considering adding cigars - federal and state regulatory framework, real margin comparison with vape, humidor merchandising, staff training, and why the math works even though cigar margins are lower than e-cig.
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Founder's Pick · April 2026: My Father Le Bijou 1922
Peter Roth's April 2026 Founder's Pick - why My Father Le Bijou 1922 belongs in every hospitality humidor, and which venues should be stocking it right now.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Hotel (The Hospitality Playbook)
Operational guide for hotel GMs and F&B directors adding cigar service - from boutique urban hotels to destination resorts. Humidor spec, opening inventory, staff training, event integration, and the actual revenue math.
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Cigar Wrappers Explained: Connecticut, Habano, Maduro & More
What cigar wrappers actually do, how they affect flavor, and how to describe them to customers - a retailer's reference guide to the 8 wrappers that define premium cigars.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Casino (The High-Limit-Room Playbook)
Operational guide for casino F&B directors and property managers launching or upgrading a cigar program. Gaming-floor service discipline, high-limit-room inventory, 24/7 rotation, compliance, and the revenue math behind a real casino cigar line.
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What the D.C. Court Ruling on Premium Cigars Means for Retailers
April 2026: a federal judge reaffirmed that premium cigars are exempt from FDA regulation. Here's what changed, what didn't, and what cigar retailers should know.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Steakhouse (The Post-Dinner Playbook)
Operational guide for steakhouse owners and F&B managers launching a post-dinner cigar service program. Humidor spec, bourbon-paired inventory, server training, menu design, and the attach-rate math that transforms steakhouse margins.
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Cigar Vitola Sizes Explained: A Complete Guide
Robusto, Toro, Churchill, Corona, Lancero - a retailer's reference to the 12 cigar vitolas that define premium retail, with smoke-time and merchandising notes for each.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Golf Pro Shop (The Tournament-Season Playbook)
The operational guide for golf pro shop managers launching a cigar program - display humidor spec, recognition-brand inventory, tournament sampler planning, Father's Day timing, and the Grayhawk-level revenue math.
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How to Prevent Tobacco Beetles in Your Humidor
Tobacco beetles can destroy $10,000 of cigar inventory in days. Here's how to prevent them - temperature discipline, freezer protocol, and the warning signs every retailer must watch for.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Private Club (The Member-First Playbook)
Operational guide for private club GMs, house committees, and F&B directors building a member-driven cigar program. Member-specific inventory, charge-to-dues integration, event overlay, and the retention math that makes cigar service a member-experience investment.
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How to Write a Cigar Menu for Your Bar or Lounge
A practical framework for building a cigar menu that drives sales - tier structure, descriptions, pricing strategy, and the menu mistakes that kill hospitality cigar programs.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Liquor Store (The Operator's Playbook)
The operational guide for liquor store owners adding cigars as a real revenue line - humidor spec, bourbon-paired opening inventory, counter merchandising, staff flow, and the attach-rate math that most liquor stores miss.
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How to Humidify Cigars in a Retail Humidor
Compare passive humidification (Boveda, sponges) vs. electronic systems (Cigar Oasis) for retail cigar inventory - sizing, cost, and reliability.
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How to Start a Cigar Program in Your Vape Shop (The 90-Day Playbook)
The operational guide for vape shop owners adding cigars as a second revenue line - humidor spec, opening inventory, staff training, regulatory notes, and the margin math that actually works.
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Adding Cigars to Your Retail Business - the Real Math, Not the Hype
What it actually looks like to add cigars to a liquor store, convenience store, or independent retail counter - starter inventory, margins, and the mistakes that kill new programs.
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Tournament Cigar Samplers: How Golf Pro Shops Print Event-Weekend Revenue
The operational guide to building, pricing, and selling tournament cigar bundles at your golf pro shop - from welcome-bag cigars through mulligan sales to raffle and winner-gift cigars. Event-specific inventory planning that turns member-guest weekends into $5K–$9K cigar revenue events.
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Cigar Display & Packaging: Merchandising That Drives Sales
How to display cigars for retail sell-through - box presentation, single-stick display, case design, and the packaging details that signal premium vs. budget.
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The 12 Best Cigars Every Liquor Store Should Stock
After 14 years supplying cigars to liquor stores nationwide, these are the 12 cigars I'd put in any liquor store humidor - chosen for the bourbon-and-spirits customer, reliable supply, and consistent sell-through.
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How to Run a Cigar Loyalty Program (That Actually Works)
Punch cards, tier loyalty, member pricing - a practical playbook for building a cigar retail loyalty program that drives repeat visits without eroding margin.
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The Top Ultra-Premium Cigars Every Real Cigar Shop Carries
Six ultra-premium cigar brands that define a serious retail cigar program - from Liga Privada and Padrón to My Father Le Bijou and Ashton.
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How to Pick Cigars That Sell at Your Store
A framework for choosing which cigars to stock in a retail program - by clientele, venue, turn rate, and tier. Built from fourteen years of opening cigar accounts.
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The Perfect Starter Cigar Selection for Retailers
The exact brand mix we recommend for a new retail cigar program - by venue type, with real SKU recommendations and the reasoning behind each.
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How to Price Cigars in Your Retail Store
A working framework for pricing premium cigars at retail - tier structure, margin math, price anchoring, and the pricing mistakes that kill cigar programs.
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How Many Boxes of Cigars Should You Start With?
A real opening-inventory framework for new retail cigar programs - broken out by venue type, traffic level, and turn rate. Built on 14 years of client setups.
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The Final Word on How to Set Up Your Humidor
The complete guide to seasoning, calibrating, and running a commercial-grade humidor - from a distributor who builds them for casinos and hotels.
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The 5 Best Ways to Sell Your Slow-Moving Cigars
Every retailer eventually has a slow-moving line. Here are the five tactics we use with MDC clients to turn them over before the next quarter.
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