Wimberley gets a dedicated cigar lounge

Tucked into the parking lot behind Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits on RR12 is the new Wimberley Valley Cigar Lounge. Inside the sleek black Airstream, visitors will find genial owner Tim Busby, along with ample seating, a large humidor and an entertainment center tuned to sports and streaming mellow tunes.

The lounge’s humidor keeps cigar brands like Kristoff, Oliva, La Gloria Cubana, the “My Father” series, Perdom and the Drew Estates line. Premium pipe blends are available to purchase by the ounce. A “smoke eater” silently purifies the air, removing smoke but leaving behind the fragrant oils and blending ingredients of the lounge’s quality tobaccos.

The Cigar Lounge also offers what Busby calls a “Third Environment.” Taking the concept from innovative Italian school educators into the American landscape, the “Third Environment” is about providing a space for engendering your social self.

“The first environment is home,” he said, “the second is work and the third environment is a place to hang with friends, neighbors and peers in an atmosphere of easy conviviality.”

For Busby, his vision to create a “Third Environment” cigar lounge has been an idea he’s nurtured for five years, even before he made Wimberley home. In Houston he worked as a regional director for Barnes and Noble booksellers before moving to Wimberley two years ago. Until recently, he worked as the Chief Operating Officer for the University CO-OP at the University of Texas at Austin before taking the Cigar Lounge plunge.

A cigar connoisseur himself, Busby learned there was no dedicated place for enthusiasts anywhere in Wimberley. “I saw people smoking cigars by Cypress Creek because there didn’t seem to be anywhere else to go,” he said. “There weren’t safe receptacles for smoked cigars, and I worried about the hazards of that, especially in this climate of drought.” He also found himself going out of town - either to San Marcos or Canyon Lake - to purchase cigars or smoke them.

With a steady vision enhanced by Wimberley’s business environment “there are so many small independent businesses here” Busby went searching for the perfect vehicle to drive his dream. And he found it: a 28-foot, 1976 Airstream Argosy. Amazingly, the classic motorhome had already been professionally remodeled as a lounge, with comfy smoking stations and a humidor large enough to hold 3,500 cigars.

Before long, the Cigar Lounge found a home at Ranch Brand Wine and Spirits. While pairing food with wine and spirits is widely accepted, cigar connoisseurs also pair spirits with cigars.

“Ranch Brand and I created pairings that harmonize well with each other’s offerings,” Busby said. “For example, they brought me clients who chose their four-year-old Bourbon for an after-dinner drink. That particular Bourbon has a nice smooth finish, so I chose a cigar rich with oil. They loved it.”

The Cigar Lounge had a “soft opening” on Labor Day and, according to Busby, the response has been fantastic. “I realized how much I love creating a place like this. Since we opened, the lounge has been like Floyd’s barbershop,” he said, referring to the 1960s television program, The Andy Griffith Show. “If I hadn’t already been hosting, I would have paid good money to hear conversations like these,” he said as he recalled intriguing tales of travel, life, and love.

“The other day I had four ladies come in with a bottle of wine who ordered very good cigars they certainly knew their cigars - and stayed for about an hour,” he said. “They had a great time and I loved having them here.” Currently, fifty percent of cigar enthusiasts are women, and the trend is growing every year.

While getting to know Wimberley’s cigar buffs, Busby has plans to hang a hammock, add a canopy over the Airstream and to build a deck to augment the outdoor seating he currently has. In football season during games, he’ll offer Happy Hour discounts and is available for private events and parties. He will also be one of the vendors at KWVH’s Casino Night September 30. If clients wish to order a box of cigars, Busby will hand deliver them to any Wimberley address, he says. Currently, the Cigar lounge is open about the same hours as Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits, but that may change once the business grows. For more information visit wimberleyvalleycigarlounge. com.