Cigar smoking has long been a pastime monopolize by men. Think about it: with a cigar, men celebrate everything from the birth of a child, to weddings, to a cement business deal. Cigars have been an integral part of guy rituals and are smoked at clubs, secret society meetings, poker games, and stag parties – places where women haven’t exactly been welcome. Years ago, women didn’t play golf; now, they do. With cigar smoking, women have invaded one of the last bastions of male turf. So, what gets a woman started smoking cigars?

My friend Melissa notes that the “Uncle Virgil factor” gave her the desire to try one. Virgil was her great uncle from Florida who she loved and admired a great deal. She remembers empty cigar boxes stacked on a bench in his garage, and his smoking/chomping on his cigars. That was back in the day when he was smoking the “good stuff” legally. “Man those things smelled so good to me,” she says. Now Melissa is a cigar aficionado who works at a local cigar shop, and not just as “window dressing.”

Another friend, J.J., a college professor, started smoking Swisher Sweets while sitting around a campfire with friends. Her first real cigar was a Romeo y Julieta Churchill in 2003. “I loved it!” says J.J., who became so hooked on cigars that she decided to use her woodworking skills to build her own humidor. Besides her passion for cigars and woodworking, J.J. also raises guide dog puppies.

Another friend’s husband started smoking cigars about five years ago. She went into a local shop and bought a few cigars as a gift for their anniversary. Her husband lit one up right away, and she couldn’t resist the temptation. “The smell was so delicious, I had to try it.” That was all it took, she was hooked! She and her husband now enjoy smoking together.

A police detective, Kim, also connected with cigars because of her husband. He’d inspect his cigars and she’d savor the smell of the tobacco from an Opus. She also learned about cigars by reading the cigar forums her husband belonged to. Kim knew enough about cigars, but never tried smoking one. She told the guys at work she’d never partaken but would like to try. They invited her to smoke with them doing lunch, and now she’s a regular member of “The Cigar Squad.”

A variety of women have learned to smoke and to enjoy the aroma, taste, and the relaxing ritual of cigars. Although there are some men who find female cigar smokers threatening, and it sometimes puts people off guard, I think it’s titillating and sexy. For those women interested in cigar smoking and who may need some coaching, there’s a video on the market called Cigars 102: For Women Only. Try it out. You may be surprisingly drawn to the indulgence.