Zoëtry Paraíso de la Bonita recently hosted a cigar rolling class at our resort. This fun and interactive event gave our guests a glimpse into the art of cigar rolling, which can be quite an extensive process.  In honor of our recent event, we thought we would provide our readers with instructions on how to hand roll a cigar.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Filler, binder and wrapper and tobacco leaves
• Scissors or knife
• Water
• Flour
• Cutting board

Here’s how:

1. Shred some tobacco leaves to make the cigar filler.
2. Prepare your binder leaf. A Havana leaf is best, due to its thickness and strength compared to other leaves. Cut out the center vein and keep the binder leaf damp to prevent cracking.
3. Make “glue” with 1/4 tsp. flour and 2 tbsp. water. Microwave the mix for 15 seconds, mix and microwave again. Repeat until the mixture is a thin paste. Set aside to cool and thicken.
4. Add the shredded tobacco to the binder leaf. Spread some of the “glue” along one edge of the binder leaf. Carefully roll the binder leaf around the shredded tobacco. Trim off any excess.
5. Prepare some thin tobacco leaves to be used as wrappers. Roll the wrapper leaves over the binder leaf containing the filler tobaccos. Apply “glue” to the edges of the wrapper leaves and roll away from you.
6. Overlap the ends as you wrap the cigar. Trim off ends when dry.
7. Enjoy!

Check out the cigar rolling event at Zoëtry Paraíso de la Bonita: