Top 1%
| Luxe Club Macanudo | ||
The speak-easies of old oozed charm, but those pesky Mafia affiliations didn't scream "genteel." Today, men bond over football and beer in sports bars, where male camaraderie is potent -- but so is the Axe body spray and the truck driver next to you.
Weathering the storm of smoking bans sweeping the country, cigar lounges have emerged as the new clubs, offering their discerning clientele a way to mingle with the best society while holding up against tough cigar connoisseurs (no underground crime record required).
Haven Away From Havana
Victoria McKee, spokeswoman for Club Macanudo in New York City's Upper East Side, calls cigar clubs the antithesis of metrosexual. "[The customers say,] 'I'm going to be a man's man and go with my buddies after work to have a cigar, a glass of red wine and a steak,'" says McKee. But this is no girls-keep-out establishment: Females make up 25% of the clientele who are willing to dare the fragrant smoke, McKee claims, for quality cigars paired with quality men. "If I was a single woman in the city, I would be at Club Macanudo," says McKee. "It's a wonderful class of people. We should get Jennifer Aniston in here." Aniston would be right at home with the celebrities and, surprisingly, the star athletes who prefer a respite from the spotlight or the protein-shake lifestyle. Even the younger hedge-fund crowd has been puffing Punches and Cohibas next to seasoned CEOs. While not a private establishment, mentioning Club Macanudo conjures membership and exclusivity. The inside looks like a gentlemen's club from London. Warm ambers and soft leather furniture amid walls of humidors evoke a welcoming living-room sensation, enhanced just a little by whichever single-malt scotch is in one's snifter. Attention to detail is key: If you look closely, you'll see that the design on the walls is actually thousands of tobacco leaf prints. Like all renowned cigar lounges, Macanudo is discerning about whom it lets in the door, with a strict (albeit recently relaxed) dress code. Those who lease private humidors receive special privileges such as priority seating and are included in a VIP fraternity of celebrities and business tycoons who frequent the club. General Cigar Company, a subsidiary of Swedish Match (SWMAF), opened the club in 1996 as an embodiment of Macanudo, the No. 1 premium handcrafted cigar brand in the U.S.| The 63rd St. Martini | ||
TheStreet Premium Services
Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS:
Trade right alongside a Wall Street pro — enjoy access to his Charitable Trust portfolio and be sent trade alerts BEFORE he makes a move. Learn MoreOptionsProfits:
Get 50+ trade ideas a week from the industry's top options experts. Plus — exclusive commentary on market trends and essential trading tools. Learn MoreReal Money:
Our team of professional Wall Street Pros — including Jim Cramer, Doug Kass, and Nicholas Vardy — delivers intelligent analysis, timely trade ideas, and colorful commentary. Learn MoreStocks Under $10:
Break into the market with small- and mid-cap stocks... all $10 or less! David Peltier tells you exactly which low-priced stocks he's buying and selling. Learn MoreTo begin commenting right away, you can log in below using your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, OpenID or Yahoo login credentials. Alternatively, you can post a comment as a "guest" just by entering an email address. Your use of the commenting tool is subject to multiple terms of service/use and privacy policies - see here for more details.
blog comments powered by Disqus
| Dow Jones | S&P 500 | NASDAQ | 10-Year Note |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,419.86 | 1,313.32 | 2,837.36 | 16.03 |
Oil *
103.16
|
|
DOWN
160.83 |
DOWN
19.10 |
DOWN
33.63 |
DOWN
0.22 |
10 Yr
1.60%
SPDR Gold
151.91
|
|
-1.28%
|
-1.43%
|
-1.17%
|
-1.35%
|
Data delayed 20 minutes |


Connect with TheStreet