Father’s Day
Being a father is one of life’s greatest pleasures and largest responsibilities. Being the parent of a child changes your life forever, makes you reconsider your priorities and reshapes you as a person. We are both fathers, and we know that many of you are as well. If you’re like us, you probably find it extremely hard to remember the days before your child or children were a part of your life.
June 20 is Father’s Day in the United States, and in the spirit of that holiday we have three features that emphasize the relationship between fathers and sons. The last time Tiger Woods played competitive golf, before an accident put him in the hospital in February, he was a Tiger we never had seen before. He was laughing, relaxed, smiling from ear to ear—because his playing partner was his son Charlie, who just turned 12 in February. The two were in lockstep on the driving range, with similar mannerisms and swings, and the interaction between the golf legend and his child gave us a new appreciation for fatherhood. “Like Tiger, Like Son” begins on page 70.
When Alan Rubin named his cigar company back in 1996, he called it Alec Bradley, after his two young sons. They were mere babies—Alec was only three years old, and Bradley had just been born. Today, 25 years later, Alan’s two sons are young men, and each is an important part of the family business. Managing editor Gregory Mottola interviewed the trio, and that Q&A appears
on page 97. We also have a piece about one of the cigar world’s true gentlemen, London’s Edward Sahakian, who has been selling Cuban cigars for more than 41 years. Today, his son Eddie joins him in the business. Turn to page 103 to read about the smoking Sahakians.
Finally, what makes this issue truly special is a fond farewell to one of the dearest friends the magazine has ever had: Rush Limbaugh. When we posted news of his passing in the last issue, we invited you readers to send in letters about Rush. Letter after letter came in, many with heartfelt words about what Rush meant to you. In this issue, you can read those letters, plus a
special reprint of the cover story we published on Rush back in the spring of 1994. For some of you, it will be a first-time read, for others, a fond return to our past. See page 55.
So join us in smoking a great cigar to celebrate Father’s Day, and to say goodbye to a fellow cigar aficionado.
