Are Hookahs the New Cigar?
More than likely, you've seen a hookah in your lifetime.
However, unless you're a regular at a hookah bar, you've
probably forgotten all about it. Do you still think you've never
heard of a hookah? Think back. Way back. There you are, lying on
your bed, while your Mother is reading the fantastic tale of a
little girl in a land of pure imagination. If you guessed
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you'd be wrong. No, this book
was written nearly 100 years before Roald Dahl's tale of
Charlie. The book (and later movie) that gives children their
first glimpse of this curious device is Alice in Wonderland.
Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, wrote about an
inquisitive, smoking caterpillar. You may remember Sammy Davis,
Jr., perched atop a giant mushroom, asking young Alice, "Who ...
Are ... You?" The device the caterpillar was smoking is called a
hookah!
Hookahs have been around, in one form or another, for several
centuries with their origins generally traced back to what is
modern day Turkey. Needing a way to cool the smoke that leaves a
tobacco pipe, the Turkish developed a way for the smoke to first
pass through water before being inhaled. This cooled the smoke
and gave the hookah its trademark bubbling sound.
Modern hookahs have evolved in design but still perform the
same, simplistic function as the hookahs of old. The tobacco
that is smoked in the hookah has also seen evolution and change.
Originally, tobaccos would be mixed with molasses or honey and
placed in the bowl-like apparatus atop the hookah. Coals would
be directly-applied to this mixture and, instead of burning, the
tobacco would be heated to the appropriate temperature to create
smoke. Today's hookah tobacco, commonly referred to as 'shisha,'
is made with modern components. Tobacco, glycerin and sugar are
combined with countless flavors to produce a truly unique
smoking experience. The flavors range from fruity apples and
oranges to cultural favorites like bubble gum and cola. In fact,
there are over 50 flavors available to today's hookah smokers!
As mentioned before, the tobacco is heated rather than burned.
The hookah tobacco is generally void of the chemical additives
found in cigarettes. In fact, hookah tobacco is usually composed
of only tobacco, glycerin, sugar and flavoring. This is a far
cry from the nearly 600 additives that can legally be added to
cigarettes. These additives also transform into other chemicals
when burned - a process that happens every time a cigarette is
lit and smoked.
Cigars, another 'natural smoke,' have long been the gourmet
smoke among smokers and socialites. They have a "good ol' boy"
reputation that makes it socially unwelcome for women to smoke
and are usually found in cigar bars and private clubs. For
years, cigars have had no real competition and the hookah stands
poised to edge out a serious piece of the gourmet smoking market.
Hookahs come in all sizes, makes and colors. They are crafting
of everything from acrylic to crystal, which allows them to
traverse the social lines. People can spend anywhere from $20 to
$5,000 to find the hookah of their dreams. There are even custom
hookah producers who, if you cannot find the hookah you are
seeking, will build a hookah that is completely personalized and
truly yours.
The cigar bars of yesteryear are finding themselves in direct
competition with a new type of business that is sprouting up
everywhere. From college towns to bustling metropolises, hookah
bars and cafes are becoming the new, trendy place to hang out
and smoke. Patrons can rent a hookah (or bring their own) and
smoke for anywhere from $7.00 to $20.00 per bowl of tobacco.
Each bowl of tobacco can be smoked for nearly an hour, making
this an inexpensive alternative to cigars and other smokes.
More than anything, the hookah provides its participants with a
wholly-unique, intimate environment that has no boundaries or
rules. Everyone is allowed and dreams, thoughts and opinions
fly, completely unabated.
Business entrepreneurs are recognizing the curious draw that the
hookah has over customers. The investment to open a hookah bar
or cafe pails in comparison to the funds required to open a
cigar bar. There's no need for an elaborate humidor and, in
fact, one could even get away with just offering hookahs. It's
no wonder that hookah bars are one of the fastest growing
concepts among modern day bars and cafes. As simplistic as the
hookah's design, a hookah business is incredibly easy for
first-time business owners to own and operate and requires a
minimum in upfront capital investments.
So, from a hookah-smoking caterpillar to the day's newest craze,
hookahs have come a long way. Only time will tell if they have a
chance against cigars and other gourmet smokes but one thing's
for sure: hookahs are here to stay.