Don’t miss: On Saturday, October 7, Estate Cigars is hosting cigar legend Rick Rodriguez, the Master Blender at West Tampa Tobacco Co., for a meet and greet filled with giveaways, exclusive cigar deals, and a free Porto wine sampling. Get all the details here.

As St. Pete’s 4th Street South corridor continues to grow, a new cigar bar and lounge has jumped into the mix as one of the area’s most exciting new spots. Estate Cigars and Social had its grand opening at 1201 4th Street South back in December, and already the comfortable lounge has cultivated a devoted following of locals ready to luxuriate with a smoke and a drink.

Estate Cigars specializes, as you might imagine, in fine cigars curated from across the country and across the globe. In addition to the cigars, they not only offer a full wine selection, but a rotating tap list of local craft beers. Hours of operation are 11 am – 10 pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11 am – 11 pm Friday and Saturday, and 12-6 pm Sunday.

Our favorite is excuse to visit is for the daily happy hours, 4-6 pm every Monday-Saturday, where all wines are 1/2 off, from their excellent, and surprisingly large, collection of bottles, and all draft beer is only $5. Even if you don’t want a cigar, it’s an excellent excuse to relax with a drink. And if you’d rather take your cigar home – Estate Cigars has a buy five, get one free deal on cigars all day every day.

However, while the cool and dim indoor lounge is beautiful, with glass cases full of cigars and plush couches and chairs spread throughout, it’s the new waterfront patio that we can’t get enough of. Hidden on the shaded side of the building along Booker Creek, Estate Cigar’s new patio is an absolute oasis, and the perfect place to have a cigar, enjoy a drink in the afternoon, chat with friends under the lights at night, or even catch the sunset. The private and scenic patio is actually one of the main reasons owner Jonathon Waterman chose this location for Estate Cigars, and he’s been excited to show it off.

Inside, however, the renovated space remains a work of art. Custom cabinets have been created for storing the cigars, and Waterman has also installed a high-efficiency HVAC system to create near-perfect ventilation. With the machine in place, 100 percent of the air is replaced with outdoor air every seven minutes.

“There’s nothing worse than walking out of a lounge and smelling like an ashtray, so we wanted to ensure that doesn’t happen to our patrons,” Waterman said. “This will dramatically minimize the ability of smoke to stick to clothes and furniture.”

Cigars are sourced with a variety of palates in mind, led by an owner with a deep appreciation for and understanding of cigars. The plush interior has been entirely renovated to create a relaxing lounge with warm colors and comfortable seating alongside an elegant bar.

Making things better, the new lounge is in the same plaza as Nicko’s Pizza, and the areas surrounding the plaza have been growing as neighborhoods like Old Southeast, Roser Park and the nearby Coquina Key have become more and more popular. Learn more at estatecigars.com.