Just about everybody enjoys a
fine cigar, mostly because if we say we don’t we’ll look fatally uncool. There
are plenty of places around town that suit the pretend-aficionado, where you
can suck down a Bud Light, puff confusingly at a stogie, and say “That’s a damn
fine $2 cigar!” The new Corona Cigar Company at
127 South Orange Avenue in The Plaza
reaches for a different clientele: those who light their smokes with C-notes,
have a swimming pool filled with gold coins, and wear jaunty stovepipe hats.
Yes, this is where Scrooge McDuck would go for a drink.
Décor: Taking up a large corner of The Plaza (where the new movie
theater will go), Corona,
like its sister stores, is split into a cigar shop and a bar, yet both are
brought together by a large faux-villa just a level above the floor. Once
you’ve foraged through the plethora of smokes, you can take your bounty over to
the ornate watering hole. The bar is topped by bottom-lit marble and curves
around shelves upon shelves of whiskey and other liquors, many of which are
older than you (and probably cost more than you, too).
The tables promote a sort of
caste system, with wobbly stools representing the bottom, hard wooden chairs in
the middle, and intricately carved, throne-like solid wood chairs being the
tops. Corona
makes a big point to note that their fineries are almost all hand-crafted,
including a gushing fountain in the middle, and maybe even the smoke eater, as
it wasn’t doing a great job of munching on the smell. Televisions also pop up
every now and again, usually tuned to sports, and sometimes to Spanish-language
coverage of soccer.
The Bar: Corona
has a selection of liquors that would put many wine lists to shame. Scotch is
the big hitter, but there are also some fine rums, gins, and cordials
available. Drams (or shots, as they’re commonly called) of the stuff cost as
little as $7 and can be combined with your favorite mixer, but you may want to
reconsider your affection for the taste of straight whiskey since most drams
are around $12 and climb rapidly from there.
Bottles of liquor hit in the
hundreds, thousands, and (yes) tens of thousands of dollars. If your inner fat
cat is napping, you can go for the beer selection, including Kirin, Corona, El Presidente,
Guinness, and Hurricane Reef all for $4.50, which is a fine deal. Several
signature cocktails, from $8.95 to $11.95, are well-mixed, and the glasses they
come in are bigger than they look, so be careful.
Service: The cigar smokin’ and high-priced liquor give the
impression of a haughty atmosphere, but the bar staff are fun and friendly,
which helps keep the vibe a little loose and closer to the other Corona stores in town.
Sounds: The Latin-themed music accentuates the already heavy Cuban
décor, but in a way that completes the intent rather than smashing you with it
like a piñata.
Crowd: Corona Cigar Company attracts a lot of young guys who think
coolness is at the end of a cigar, but a lot of seasoned aficionados are discovering
that Corona has
gone to a lot of trouble to create a relaxing place to enjoy a smoke.
