Martinez Cigars is Paying Tribute to its Hometown with New Series

New York based Martinez Cigars is paying tribute to its hometown with the La Bodega series. Bodega’s are common in New York, they are small, owner-operated convenience stores that are fixtures in their neighbourhoods. The first instalment of the series is called Riki Taki and will debut at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show

The cigar is rolled at the Martinez Hand Rolled Cigars factory in New York City in a 5×50 Robusto format. The wrapper is Ecuadorian Corojo with a Nicaraguan binder. The filler comes from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigars are offered in bundles of five, mimicking the packaging of bodega sandwiches. That’s also where the name comes from, the Riki Taki sandwich. The original Riki Taki sandwich had of seasoned ground beef with shredded cabbage, onions, tomatoes and topped with mayonnaise, ketchup, and a sliced boiled egg, all on a toasted round roll.

The project is a regular production and the brainchild of Jesus Martinez, the owner of Martinez Cigars, and Dave Rivera, the company’s director of product development and marketing. Both grew up in New York in an era where the bodegas played a very important part in New York neighbourhoods. New releases in the series are expected next year.