I picked up an item in my email box today from Google News that appeared in last Friday's Chicago Tribune. It was a story about CF Dominicana, a company based out of New York City that caters private parties and events not by supplying food, but freshly-rolled cigars.

As William Hageman, reported in his article titled, Cigar roller gets party, well, rolling, CF Dominicana Cigars president, Dennis Briganti, has been in the cigar-catering business since June 2000, offering CF Dominicanas and custom cigar bands. He rolled out the rollers a couple of years later, and they're now hitting their stride, expanding operations to 14 cities.

I think this is a great idea, particularly now that so many cities have passed no-smoking bans. Plus, the novelty of having a cigar roller also makes the event more fun. I know that when we have a cigar roller at our Famous Smoke Shop events, the attendees get a better perspective on what goes into making a fine cigar.

In Hageman's article, Briganti stated that his rollers are "amicable, personable and bilingual." They know they have to be a contribution to the success of the event. They're not there to be detached and roll cigars in a corner somewhere."

Surprisingly, 70 percent of Briganti's clients are women. "It's the novelty and the craft that they appreciate. It's not a machine-made thing," Briganti told Mr. Hageman.

My curiosity got the better of me, so I checked out Briganti's Cigar Catering web site. Not only does he supply rollers, but he also supplies servers who pass around the cigars to party attendees. FEMALE servers. And let me tell you, they're babes! Since Briganti's cigars are private label, I can't speak to their quality, but due to his coast-to-coast success, they must be pretty good.

In a society where smoking tobacco appears to be increasingly taboo - at least in public places - it's good to know that someone has come up with a clever alternative, and keeping the wonderful world of premium cigar smoking enjoyment alive and well.

~ Gary Korb