Cigar Speakeasies

Banished from california bars, cigars are welcomed at a modern version of a prohibition-era fixture

From the Print Edition:
Bo Derek, Jul/Aug 00

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Brandt used to allow smokers to light up throughout his bar, inside and outside the lounge, but he grudgingly complied with the law after receiving the threatening letter in January. (He made his workers wear "Smoke Police" badges, and some handed out nicotine patches to patrons who lit up.) Not everyone has the space--or the inclination--to make a legal nest for smokers. So the speakeasies will remain. And so will the people who fight against them.

A bar owner spins a favorite tale to a visitor. In 1998, not long after the smoking ban was put into place, a man walked into a bar and began harassing smokers who were ignoring the new law. He became incensed, moving from patron to patron in an attempt to get them to snuff Macanudos and Marlboros alike. No one listened. He then started complaining to the bartenders, but they refused to separate paying customers from their smokes. Frustrated, he walked to a pay phone and dialed 911.

Three cops walked into the bar, and the man's face broke into a smile, certain that justice was about to be served up like a trussed up Thanksgiving turkey. The man demanded that the police arrest the smokers. The cops said they weren't about to arrest people for smoking. The man then demanded that the police throw the bartender in jail for ignoring the smoking ban.

Again the cops refused. The bar owner (who still allows cigars to be enjoyed in his establishment, and thus will remain nameless) says this is where the story gets interesting. The man became apoplectic, demanding that someone had to spend time in jail for stinking up his air.

The owner breaks into a wry smile. "They ended up arresting him," he says. The gleam in his eyes, and the Arturo Fuente in his hands tell you how sad he was to see that happen.

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