The International Bazaar teaches people how to hand roll cigars in Ybor City, a district in Tampa Florida which was once the epicenter of cigar manufacturing in the United States. The hand rolling lesson is part of the Cigar Aficionado certification course being used to train people to make cigars for the tourist trade in Tampa. The cigar business is booming again in Tampa where at least three new cigar shops and six cigar factories have started new businesses in the Ybor City district in recent months.



The goal of the school is not only to teach people how to roll the cigars but also to teach them the history of the industry in Ybor City. This is accomplished by providing the students with a textbook accompanying the class that covers the history of the cigar industry in the Ybor City district. The reason for this is so that the people being hired to roll the cigars at the International Bazaar for tourists can also answer the tourist's questions and give them factual history on the cigar industry in the area.

The cigar rolling class is instructed by Master cigar rollers, and is the most extensive course of its kind anywhere. In addition to the history of cigars and cigar rolling, many other subjects are covered.

Pupils learn about the diverse types of tobacco grown in different countries, their distinctive flavor characteristics, and how to develop unique cigar blends. The class ends with three weeks devoted to specifically working on perfecting the rolling technique. At the end of the course, graduates are allowed to take home a box of cigars that they made in class. They also take with them all of the skills essential to blend and roll cigars professionally.

The classes go for twelve weeks and the following topics are covered:

The history of cigar rolling - locally in Ybor City and globally

Understanding the tobacco growing industry

Defining the different vitilas (blends)

Preparing the binders

Formatting the cigar

Understanding tobacco and wrappers

Creating the body of the cigar

Learning to cut the leaves

Understanding the molding process

The final wrapping stage

Quality control

Perfecting the rolling technique

Contact the International Bazaar in Ybor City for class times and prices.