I thought to myself, "what happened to old the old school traditions? Why can't we bring them back?" It would be so cool to have a nice cigar and brandy party, complete with Texas Hold 'em poker and a lot of great friends to enjoy the night with. Why not splurge a little and go for the very best cigars and brandy? I am determined to have a cigar and brandy party sometime soon. There really isn't anything better in life than getting all of your best friends together, having a room fill up with the smells of expensive cigars and having bottles of brandy to last throughout a few hundred rounds of poker.
Brandy is short for brandywine and is from the dutch word "brandewijn" or "burnt wine." It is basically wine that has been distilled with an alcohol content of between 40 and 60% (80 to 120 proof). Usually brandy is made from grape wine and is generally considered to be an "after dinner" drink. An example of a nice but expensive bottle of brandy is calvados Pays D'Auge.
A cigar is simply a tightly rolled up bundle of dried and fermented tobacco. It comes from the Spanish word "cigarro." There is a rich history surrounding the traditions associated with smoking cigars. Many times, people would buy a cigar and keep it with the intention of smoking it after winning a bet or accomplishing some major feat. The expression, "close, but no cigar," has its roots in this tradition.
I have never routinely smoked cigars, but I generally smoke one during some large event. The last time I enjoyed a good cigar was after my grandmother's funeral. The men in the family got together and we all purchased cigars and lit up together to honor her life -- just as my grandfather would have done had he still been alive. It feels enriching to be able to carry on a tradition within the family, since my grandfather was a cigar and pipe lover. I had never really smoked a cigar before that time. I remember thinking, "no wonder my grandfather loved smoking cigars so much -- it really is nice!" Ahhh, the ebb and flow of life.
So, I would like to organize some interesting parties -- parties with themes in them. It is a lot of fun going out and getting drunk with friends but I want to do more upscale partying.
I have put together a list of different parties I'd like to organize:
Cigar, brandy and poker party.
Wine and cheese party (complete with various types of wine and delicious styles of cheese)
A Mardi Gras mask party (fancy faces party).
A Custom party
I don't think all of my friends would be interested in these type of parties. I have a pretty ecclectic group of friends. Some are more into culture and arts while the others are more into ... the art of drinking endlessly at a cheap bar with a Natty in one hand and a shot in the other.
If you have any ideas for a fun party theme, please let me know!
1 comment:
I always learn something new from you when I occasionally read your blogs. I agree that it would be SO cool to go "back in the day" when men would retreat to the "cigar and brandy room" and women would gossip over coffee. Mind you, I'm not your typical girl because I would most certainly be hitting the cigars and brandy with the boys but it would still be cool. I love cigars. In a feminine sort of way, if that's possible. Only had a couple in my lifetime but they are fun once in awhile.
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