Above: Cuban Crafters in Miami (all photos by CJ)
THE CLACK of dominoes. The steam of a just-made colada. The deliberate movements of cigar rollers. Clouds of smoke against the walls.
From the outside, it’s a large warehouse-style space at the edge of Miami’s Little Havana.
Walk in, though, and you’ll find something wonderful: a classic, clubby, old-time cigar lounge that evokes Old Havana.
Above: cigar rollers at Cuban Crafters
It’s called Cuban Crafters, and this large space is home to both a sizable walk-in humidor and store, a lounge with sofas and rocking chairs, a coffee bar and even a barber shop. (There are also plans to relaunch the adjacent bar as a Cuban-style lounge).
Above: the coffee bar at Cuban Crafters
Cuban Crafters is a nod to the cigar store of yesteryear — a Saturday afternoon oasis, a place to sit back, puff on a perfecto and ponder the day.
At Caribbean Cigar’s recent visit, we tried the excellent Oliva Reserve, a smooth, mild-to-medium-bodied smoke, part of what is one of the best cigar selections anywhere in Miami.
— CJ