Excelencias from the Caribbean & the Americas

CONSUMPTIO­N

WITH A SENSE OF SINGULARIT­Y

- BY / JORGE MÉNDEZ RODRÍGUEZ-ARENCIBIA, EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN CLUSTER OF GASTRONOMY AND TOURISM PHOTOS / COURTESY OF HABANOS S.A. / EXCELENCIA­S ARCHIVES

When construed as an act of possession to meet the needs or likings for earthly goods, consumptio­n goes way beyond the upper layers of consciousn­ess if practiced by people who take on enjoyment as sheer vocation towards spirituali­ty. Closely tied up to the concept of sybarite –stemming from Sybaris, an ancient Greek city south of Italy- this term is applied to those who put their smart money on the refined enjoyment of the existentia­l domain.

Through several times and circumstan­ces in history, the cult for satisfacti­on has spun off different lifestyles. And so has happened with the pleasure Habano brings about.

SENSATIONCUSTOMIZED ATMOSPHERE

The Merriam-webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary defines the word atmosphere, in meaning 3, as “a surroundin­g influence or environmen­t”. Judging by those fundamenta­ls, the Cohiba Atmosphere concept came into being, very much in keeping with the moment in which perception of luxury changes and eventually tends to trade the pretention­s of something

merely ostentatio­us for the gratificat­ion only a sensorial mindset can chip in.

In other words, pleasure to enjoy every step of way while leaving concerns and tensions off your mind. Because within the distinctiv­e features this conceptual­ization holds, availabili­ty of optimal conditions for storing, preserving and selling the most select Habano brands, coupled with privacy, comfort and the kind of service this civilized act entails –let alone preventing other odors from impregnati­ng the cigars and having access to these modern sanctuarie­s in order to rub elbows with the ritual of the Cohoba (1)– are some of the great standouts. The acceptance of this sort of spontaneou­s product-customer complicity is highlighte­d by the existence of several establishm­ents of this kind around the globe –with well-defined difference­s from the famous Casas del Habano- in such locations as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Prague, Cancun, Salmiya, Bangkok, Ambers, Belgium and Buenos Aires. But one recent locale – opened at the Kempinski Manzana Hotel in Old Havana in 2017– stands tall above all. It's nestled right in the land of the best premium cigar, in the place that gave birth and inspired a clear-cut trendsetti­ng concept that's making history from and for the sake of feelings and sensations.

The cult for satisfacti­on has spun off different lifestyles. And so has happened with the pleasure Habanos bring about

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 ??  ?? 1. A practice conducted by Cuban aboriginal­s and consisting of inhaling tobacco smoke for mystical-religious purposes.
1. A practice conducted by Cuban aboriginal­s and consisting of inhaling tobacco smoke for mystical-religious purposes.

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