J.C. Newman Celebrates the 137th Anniversary of First Cigar Rolled in Tampa By Reintroducing Sanchez y Haya Cigars

One hundred thirty-seven years ago today, Sanchez y Haya rolled the first cigar in Tampa, Florida.  Many others followed, causing Tampa to become known as “Cigar City” and the “Fine Cigar Capital of the World.”  In celebration of this anniversary, J.C. Newman has recreated the original Sanchez y Haya cigars and reintroduced them at a celebration Wednesday night at Hotel Haya in Ybor City. Hotel Haya is located on the site of the original Sanchez y Haya cigar factory in Tampa’s Ybor City historic cigar district. 

Although Vicente Martinez Ybor decided to build the first cigar factory in Tampa, his friends Serafin Sanchez and Ignacio Haya opened their factory a few weeks before Ybor’s factory was complete. Because of this, Sanchez y Haya was designated as “Factory No. 1” in Tampa.

Because cigars were much smaller a century ago, J.C. Newman’s recreated Sanchez y Haya cigars are short robustos measuring 4.5″ x 50. Each is hand rolled with either a Sumatra Sungrown or a Oscuro Maduro wrapper and Cuban-seed binder and filler tobaccos, just like Sanchez y Haya used in 1886. These cigars are sold individually inside vintage Sanchez y Haya cigar boxes with a suggested retail price of $8. Sanchez y Haya cigars are sold exclusively in Tampa. In addition to Hotel Haya, they are available at the J.C. Newman Factory Store in the historic El Reloj Cigar factory and other select premium cigar retailers in Cigar City.