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Little Havana
Miami's historic Eighth Street, known locally as Calle Ocho, is America's Cigar Central
Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008
By David Savona
From the February 2008 issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine
Miami's Eighth Street is awash in Cuban culture and cigar shops.
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The signs say Eighth Street, but the locals all say it in Spanish as Calle Ocho, which could
also be translated as "the heart of Florida's Little Havana." Tourists come to the historic Miami
district to taste Cuban culture, whether it's sampled as a sweet, small shot of café Cubano bought
from cafeteria windows, a belly-busting lunch of pork roasted in plenty of garlic or a heated
contest played out with tiles in Domino Park.
If you're a cigar smoker, Calle Ocho offers even more. In a way, it's America's cigar central,
and there is no other place quite like it in the world of cigar making. The vast majority of the
world's premium cigars are made behind the walls of free-trade zones, off-limits to tourists. On
Calle Ocho, not only can you buy cigars in a host of places, you can also watch such renowned
cigars as La Gloria Cubanas and Tatuajes being rolled right in front of you.
Any cigar aficionado staying in a hotel near one of Miami's beaches or great golf courses
should drive into Little Havana for the day, stock up on his favorite smokes and sample a lunch of
great Cuban cuisine. We spent a few days in the area to get the lay of the land.
CIGAR FACTORIES & SHOPS
El Credito Cigar Factory
1106 SW Eighth St. (corner of 11th Ave.); 305-858-4162
El
Credito Cigars is a pilgrimage in itself. This is the very space where the non-Cuban La Gloria
Cubana cigar was born. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Sr. first rolled it here in 1968, and since 1980 the
brand has been shepherded by his son, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., a master of the art of making
complex, flavorful smokes. In 1992, the company's cigars went from a well-kept local secret to a
must-have for enthusiasts countrywide. Now the lion's share of the cigars are made in a much
larger facility in the Dominican Republic, but La Gloria still has its original (although
considerably reworked) galleria in the heart of Calle Ocho. About a dozen cigarmakers work in the
main room, which is open to tourists, who can watch firsthand as a world-class cigar is made.
Adjacent to the rolling area is a posh cigar shop with a few chairs, where smokers can buy the
entire El Credito line and maybe see Perez-Carrillo Jr.
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. still makes some La Gloria Cubanas in Miami.
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El Rey de los Habanos
1120 SW Eighth St. (between 11th and 12th aves.); 305-858-0001
One of the tiniest cigar factories in the world also produces amazing cigars. El Rey de los
Habanos (King of the Cuban cigars) is the home of Jose "Pepin" Garcia and his family, makers of
Tatuaje and Don Pepin cigars, among others. Walk in the factory and watch a dozen
cigarmakers slowly craft cigars in the Cuban style: working only by hand—no bunching devices—using
two small binder leaves, and finishing each cigar with a triple-seamed cap. This is truly a family
business: odds are you will see Pepin working in the back, rolling diademas.
El Titan de Bronze
1071 SW Eighth St. (corner of 11th Ave.); 305-860-1412
The
interesting name translates to "The Titan of Bronze," a colorful nickname given to a very tough
Cuban general named Antonio Maceo Grajales, who fought Spain for Cuba's independence in the second
half of the nineteenth century. A century ago, before there were national cigar brands, most
smokers bought their cigars at corner cigar factories like this one. Unlike El Credito, this
workshop creates cigars that are only sold locally. The factory was created by Carlos Cobas, and
he and his family run the business. All the cigars sold here are made on the premises, by eight
rollers working with various blends.
Casa Felipe
900 SW Eighth St. (between 9th and 10th aves.); 305-860-3230
Brand owner
Philip Wynne, a lover of fine wines as well as great cigars, has recently opened a showcase for
his product that will combine his passions. His cigar factory/wine shop/cigar store was scheduled
to open as this issue went to press. As well as selling his full line of cigar brands, including
the Felipe brands, plus Pelo de Oro, Wynne's plan is for four cigar rollers to make cigars that
will only be available at the shop.
Smoking inside Puros Indios's nearby headquarters.
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Sosa Family Cigars
3475 SW Eighth St. (between 34th and 35th aves.); 305-446-2606
After
a hearty meal at the nearby Versailles eatery, walk a block west and head to Sosa Family Cigars
(once known as Macabi). All 1,000 square feet of this shop are humidified, and it's well stocked
with cigars. "I probably have 350 open boxes," says Junior Sosa, who runs the shop for his family,
makers of Sosa Cigars in the Dominican Republic. The Sosas made cigars here during the boom, but
no longer. In addition to the large cigar selection, Sosa has a smoking lounge and a well-used
dominoes table. The shop is also a wine store, stocking some 80 different selections, most of them
Spanish, the favorites of family patriarch Juan Sosa.
Art District Cigars
1638 SW Eighth St. (between 16th and 17th aves.); 305-644-0444
La
Luna cigars were once crafted at this address. Since La Luna Cigars changed its name to Art
District last July, the location became a building that combines the finer elements of a cigar
shop, bar and a smoking lounge. But the heritage of production is kept alive by a few rollers
making the company's house brand, called 1638. You can, however, still buy La Lunas here (they are
made in Honduras) and listen to music, plus take advantage of a bar serving beer and wine.
Photos by Amy Eckert
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