West Houston Smoke and Powder Crawl

An introduction, history, announcement and invitation.

One of the finer groups of folks I've found via the 'net in my pre-blogging days are the folks from the AOL Cigar Forum. I initially came to know them through doing some research into the Houston & Galveston cigar scene.

I've had the pleasure of being on their e-mailing list for almost two years now. In that time, I've stolen several fine recipies, netted several wine purchases based on their reviews and have otherwise enjoyed many an informative and fun read.

And finally I now have the opportunity to return the favor.

Mr. Richard Senascac provides the initiative for their activities in the Houston area. Here, he gives us a history of the event:

When is the WEST HOUSTON SMOKE & POWDER CRAWL VIII? SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25,
2004 ("The First-and-a-Half Anniversary Crawl")

For the last seven years, I have put on the Annual S&PC! Generally, we start at American Shooting Center in far west Houston, and proceed, in a cloud of gun and cigar smoke, to stuff ourselves blind and smoke until we ca'na smoke no more.

This includes lunch at a cigar-friendly restaurant (usually Paul's Seafood Boat, where the seafood is fresh and tasty and we can have the top floor to ourselves), several local tobacconists (who always are so happy to see us that they have snakes and freebies -- or at least give us stuff to get us to leave) and dinner at an, again, cigar-friendly venue.

Because there is no "fee" for joining the crowd and this is not an organized club, people join and drop out as time and schedules permit but we usually have a dozen or so stick through the whole ordeal and have had nearly thirty attend all-told.

The schedule starts at 9:00 at American Shooting Center, where you have rifle and pistol ranges and for shotgunners, 25 Skeet, Five Stand or 50 Sporting Clays. Many of the range officers love cigars and join in the fun (and cigar mooching). A "Shoot-out," at a one cigar buy-in, is the last event at ASC.

Last year, after lunch at Paul's Seafood & Oyster Boat, (The cigar-friendly people who actually invited us back) we hit Tobacco Habana (where the owner had arranged for a Cuban roller to be there) with a 20% discount on cigars & accessories and got to meet some members of the weekly Chess and Cigar Club that
meets there. We then headed to the Cigar Vault, a nice shop sporting overstuffed lounging chairs and with a good selection of pipes and tobaccos as well as cigars; and a 10% discount for Crawlers.

Last was Village Liquor; not our average venue but a liquor store with a walk-in humidor. It was on the crawl because it has, flat out, the best everyday cigar prices in Houston, rivaling JR's, and a good selection. And freebies and a discount on some GREAT humidors (several of us snagged those).

Dinner was at Jillian's, a restaurant and bar with a pool-hall, bowling alley, jazz lounge and gaming arcade. Good, down-home pub food and entertainment that can't be beat.

In the past, we have been sponsored (with anything from cigar accessories to up to two boxes each of five different cigars) by Moore & Bode (still made by the entubar method), DiMeola cigars (by craftsman Richard DiMeola), Perdomo Cigars, Smokey Mo of CGars Ltd. in England, Wal Baranow in Australia and several
others. Many of the sponsors have been with us to five or more years but we always try to find new cigars for our attendees.

Sadly, I've not been able to personally attend a Smoke and Powder Crawl. A six-day work schedule with fewer than one-weekend a month off tends to put the quietas on most Saturday outings for me.

But, you can go and have fun for me, m'kay?

The extended post contains your invitation, and how to RSVP. And you need to RSVP to be eligible for the "goodies" that they'll be distributing.

INVITATION TO SMOKE & POWDER CRAWL VIII

RSVP to AGCIAS@AOL.com

Print this section to take with you on the crawl!

WEST HOUSTON SMOKE & POWDER CRAWL VIII
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2004
"The First-and-a-Half Anniversary Crawl"

Which is the better portion - bondage bought with a ring, Or a harem of dusky beauties, fifty tied with a string?

I'm happy to announce the Eighth Annual S&PC! This year's name is based on my one-and-a-half-year wedding anniversary. We will start at ASC and proceed in a cloud of gunsmoke to stuff ourselves blind and smoke until we ca'na smoke no more. The schedule (feel free to join us at any point):

9:00 Start - American Shooting Center, 16500 Westheimer, 77082 281)556-8086. Rifle/pistol at $7 per person, including a target and range officer (Not a target -- give him cigars if you like). For shotgunners, 25 Skeet or Trap ($7.39), Five Stand ($8.31) or 50 Sporting Clays ($22.17). The Shoot-out, at a one cigar buy-in, is slated.

12:30 - Lunch - Paul's Seafood & Oyster Boat, 1704 Highway 6 S, 77077-2804. 281)556-5086 As always, great fresh seafood and cigar-friendly people who (tho' under new management) actually invited us back.

3:00 - Caribe Tobacco, 14045 Memorial Drive, 77079. www.caribecigars.net. 281-293-9211 Kristofer's shop is new to the Houston cigar scene, but it (and the 3 zillion inch TV) is a must-stop with average to good prices and a very nice selection. 15% discount on cigars & accessories. Bayou City Smokers meets
(irregularly) at Caribe so some of them may join in.

4:15 - Cigar Vault, 1141 Uptown Park Blvd. @ Post Oak & 610. 713) 840-7612 CV sports overstuffed chairs and a nice selection of pipes and tobaccos as well as cigars. Great cigar selection, average to good prices and 10% discount for Crawlers.

5:30 - Croft's Pipe, Tobacco & Cigars 4722 Richmond, 77027. 713)785-4080 Great selection, average to very good prices improved by a 10% discount for Crawlers. Be sure to check out the house brand.

6:45 - Downing Street Ltd. 2549 Kirby Dr., 77019. (713) 523-2291 This is an opulent bar in what we would all like to believe is the classic English "club" style. Food runs to sandwiches and pub-type snacks but quality is excellent, the beverage selection is huge and this year they have "revamped" their scotches and whiskeys to feature the Best of the Best. The walk-in humidor is great though you will pay for the hard-to-find smokes. Manager Jeff Neal has dared us to find a cigar he can't match perfectly to a scotch. So come play stump the expert.

This year we are proud to be sponsored by: Moore & Bode: This brand, long known to the "cognoscenti," is back for the seventh year. Still made by the entubar method, these are incredible medium-bodied smokes and samples will be included for all crawlers.

DiMeola cigars: These medium strength, masterfully blended cigars are created as a work of art by craftsman Richard DiMeola.

Nick's Cigars: Nick Perdomo has again been generous and more than generous to us. His cigars, whether the less expensive brands or his top of the line, all show a quality and attention to detail that is rarely seen. In all Nick's cigars you will find an earthy depth of flavor that pleases but never overwhelms your senses.

Baranow's: Wal Baranow from the land of Oz (Australia) is with us for the third time. Baranow's provides mail-order cigars, specializing in Cubans and with better prices than you can find outside of Spain. www.cigar1.com.au

And additional surprise sponsors and gifts.

RSVP: To get the correct number of cigars from our sponsors, we will need a list of those attending. As a corollary to this, if you don't let me know you are coming, you don't get free cigars. You can contact AGCIAS@AOL.com for additional information.