Quai d’Orsay 50th Anniversary Cigar Premieres In Havana
Mar 1, 2024
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Pinar del Río met Paris this week during the Habanos Festival at a party that celebrated Quai d’Orsay’s 50th anniversary. The cigar brand, which started as a Cuban line for the French market, turns 50 this year and the major milestone was celebrated at a gala in Havana where guests were among the first to try the new size in honor of the golden anniversary: the Especial d’Orsay, measuring 6 inches by 53 ring gauge.
While Quai d’Orsay cigars are not a French product, per se, they are emblematic of French tastes and are no longer limited to the French market, but available globally. This bridging of French and Cuban cultures played out in Havana at El Laguito Protocol Hall, a venue often used to launch new cigars in full gala fashion.
Gearing up for the party. After getting his gift bag, José Miguel Salvador, owner of the La Casa del Habano in Chile, picks up a Quai d’Orsay Corona Claro.
The cocktail of the night. Called a Cuban Crown Daquiri, this mixed drink is a sweet-and-savory combination of 11-year-old Ron Santiago Cuban rum, salted honey and a splash of lemon juice.
Setting the mood. An upbeat quartet keeps things lively for cocktail hour. The round yellow stage should look familiar.
Puffing with panache. Spanish retailer Armando Diaz Dones came all the way from Madrid to join the celebration.
The formal introduction. Habanos vice president José María Inchaurbe acknowledges 50 years of the Quai d’Orsay brand and officially presents the new Especial d’Orsay.
