Best way to keep your mouth busy

Daniel Pink, of cigar distributors Hunters and Frankau, says: “People do sometimes blame cigars for making them feel rough, but they should probably be looking a bit harder at the 10 pints and tequila they had beforehand.”

Mr Pink was at Waitrose in Canada Place to educate sales staff on Winston Churchill and Che Guevara’s favourite pastime.

The store has a wide selection of cigars and Mr Pink was helping Waitrose workers so they can offer advice on the subject to Wharfers.

First things first; recognising quality. To be a Havana cigar, it must have three things. To be from Cuba, made up of three leaves and have long filler tobacco.

And, according to Mr Pink, the test for whether it’s been stored correctly is that when you squeeze it, it should spring back into place.

Now for picking the perfect cigar for you.

Although drinking does get a large part of the blame for a sore head the morning after, some must be proportioned to the naivety of anyone taking on a cigar for the first time.

For example, different brands have different strengths.

At the mild end, the H Upmann is ideal for the non-cigarette smoker who is experimenting in cigars, or having a one-off celebration.

The choices go from the mild, all the way up to a Bolivar, which are more likely to leave the amateur coughing. They are better suited to seasoned smokers.

The smoking ban has affected sales across the industry, but the bright side for cigar manufacturers is that more people are smoking at home, while weddings, christenings and Christmas are still big sellers.

Places to smoke are limited these days but whether at home or standing outside a bar, a drink always goes well with a cigar.

For the perfect accompaniment to your smokes, Mr Pink suggests brown spirits. He said: “Rum or whiskies such as bourbon are good, but not Tia Maria, Cointreau or Drambuie. Red wine or a coffee also go very well with your cigar.”

As I left the session, I embarked on my first sober cigar session – in a cigar friendly area of the wharf recommended by the Waitrose team.

I was surprised to find I enjoyed my mild H Upmann.

I might have been a little giddy and, according to colleagues, smelling like a Cuban ashtray, but I was feeling cool.

Just like Hannibal.