|
Home > What's New > The 2004 Big Smoke Las Vegas
 Email this feature to a friend
The 2004 Big Smoke Las Vegas
Posted: Monday, November 15, 2004
By Michael Moretti
The biggest celebration of cigars in the world landed in the aficionado's desert paradise this past weekend for the ninth year running. The Big Smoke Las Vegas welcomed nearly 6,000 patrons of puffing who made the pilgrimage from all over to relish in the three-day revelry of sights, sounds, smells and tastes.
The snapping of lighters and sound of laughter echoed throughout the sprawling halls inside the golden towers of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Friday night, kicking off the first of two three-hour evening smoke sessions and a weekend packed with events.
The 100,000 square foot ballroom set the stage for the event and was soon ablaze with aromatic smoke trailing from the hands of eager attendees, who fattened their tote bags with premium cigars and sated their palates with fine foods and spirits.
From military personnel to businessmen to guys dressed in cow costumes, people from all ages and walks of life stood shoulder to shoulder.
"It's about the guys and a few women,” said Torrence White, a police officer from Riverside, California, "You can sit down here and talk about cigars and anything else.”
"We're passionate about cigars and love Vegas,” said Barry Berenson from Seattle, Washington standing with his wife Jeanne who was drinking a glass of champagne. "She doesn't smoke cigars but she begged me to take her along.”
Jeff Marks came with his friends Jason and Isaac along with his father, Joe from San Bernardino, California. "This is my first one,” said Jeff, "but these guys have been here for the past five years.”
William Zeigler a Mortgage Banker from Las Vegas came for the second year in a row. "I like all the different brands, to see all the different venues and to see what's going on with the new brands that are coming out.”
The crowd was abuzz outside the ballroom before the festivities began each evening. The line curled through the back halls of the building as veterans anticipated the coming attractions and newcomers wondered what to expect. At 6:30, the doors opened and the crowd flooded into the room. Empty bags soon filled with premium, handmade cigars from around the world; the brands consisted of: Arturo Fuente, Ashton, C.A.O., Flavours by C.A.O., Carlos Toraño, Cuesta Rey, Don Tomás, Felipe Gregorio, H. Upmann Reserve, Juan Lopez, Kahlua, La Aroma de Cuba, La Flor Dominicana, La Gloria Cubana, León Jimenes, Maria Guerrero, OneOff, Padrón, Puros Indios, Romeo y Julieta, Royal Jamaica, Saint Luis Rey, The Griffin's and Zino Platinum.
To stage such a large cigar event requires copious amounts of booze -- mission accomplished. Cigars could be paired with an array of different spirits, from Scotches such as Dewar's, Glendronech, Glenfiddich, Laphroaig and The Dalmore; whiskeys such as Tullamore Dew and Jack Daniels; and Bourbons from Booker's and Woodford Reserve; to Fonseca Port, Reserva de la Familia Tequila from Jose Cuervo, Absolut Rasberri and Level Vodka. Anheuser Busch World Select served frosty beer; Ruffino and Archery Summit Winery poured the vino, while Möet & Chandon toasted the evening with champagne.
Enthusiast crowded around various glittering automobiles parked throughout the ballroom, gazing through the windshields from plush leather seats as they imaged the feel of the cars on the open road. For the off-road crowd, strapping SUVs were welcomed sights, such as the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT pickup, Land Rover and Range Rover LR3, Infiniti QX56 UGV, Hummer H1 and H2, Ford Freestyle, Chevrolet SSR and Avalanche, Grand Cherokee, Dodge Magnum, and the GMC Yukon XL Denali. Those who yearn for a little more speed could jump into the Ford Mustang GT and Five Hundred, the Jaguar XK Convertible and SJ Sedan, the Infiniti G35 Coupe, the Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6, ME 412 and STR-8, the Viper GTSR, the Cadillac STS and XLR, the Pontiac 2005 GTO and the Chevrolet Corvette. For speed on two wheels, Triumph and Honda rolled in their motorcycles.
As always in Vegas, there was live music and entertainment. Scantily clad dancers gyrated to the live music onstage. Visitors to the C.A.O. booth on Saturday night were welcomed by cigar-chomping Dick Butkus, who signed C.A.O. hats and posed for photos. At the Altadis booth, patrons could pose for a photo with the digitalized (and nude) Montecristo platinum girl.
Guests also could get a look at the latest cigar accessories from Diamond Crown humidors and Colibri lighters, watches from Breitling and Maurice Lacroix, the latest in flat-screen technology from Sony Qualia, and ways to get organized from Garage Works. Those looking to spruce up their chips, drives or putts could visit the golf station, where pros gave pointers on how to improve your game.
The restaurants catering the event included Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Charlie Palmer's Steak House, Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, Shibuya sushi, Diego Mexican cuisine, Rumjungle, Caffe Giorgio, Piero Selvaggio, Valentino, Commander's Palace and House of Blues restaurant. It was washed down with sparkling water from San Pellegrino and natural water from Panna.
At 9:30 each evening, the lights began to fade and guests puffed merrily out the door on to the Vegas Strip. Most people would no doubt continue into the night. The Big Smoke was just beginning as well, with a lineup of events to come.
Photos by Camilla Sjodin and Jeff Scheid
The 2004 Las Vegas Big Smoke: Part Two and Part Three
Back to top
|
Cigar Aficionado RSS Feed