Fabled Romance
Romeo y JulietaFounded by Alvarez y Garcia in 1873, the Romeo y Julieta brand once printed over 2,000 cigar bands. With over 40 shapes and sizes produced under this brand, the Romeos are one of the most well-known and popular of all Cuban cigar brands. Romeo y Julieta cigars have won gold medals worldwide for both taste and quality.
Romeo y Julieta cigars came into their own in 1903 when the brand was purchased by ‘Pepin’ Fernandez Rodriquez. As an avid horseman, Pepin raced his horse Julieta all over Europe and produced the widest selection of personalized cigar bands for the celebrities of his day, including the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The brand is credited with introducing the “Churchills” size of cigar in his honor.
British lore claims that when Churchill would meet with foreign heads of state, he would insert a straightened paperclip through the length of his cigar. As his cigar ash would grow longer and longer but not fall, it is said that Churchill would unnerve his often-hostile guests, allowing him to gain an upper hand during delicate negotiations.