I have to admit I really didn’t know much about cigars other than my grandfather smoked them. It was in 2006 when I met my late husband Jonathan, an advent cigar smoker and somewhat of an aficionado, who introduced me to the world of cigars. He would tell me “smoking a stick is a great way to relax” and smoked different cigars like the Romeo y Julieta, Arturo Fuente, Padron, Davidoff, Rocky Patel, and AJ Fernandez with his favorite tequila expression Senor Rio Anejo. The cigar shop locator app was Jon’s best friend especially when we traveled. After hosting in store Señor Rio tequila tastings, we would find a cigar shop before calling it a night and I would smoke a cigar right along with him.
REALIZING A DREAM
Although my late husband Jonathan started smoking cigars at the age of 18 before, as he would say, it became fashionable and expensive. His dad was a cigar smoker, so he was around it a lot while growing up. He joked and said that when his family went for car rides his dad smoked his big stogie the entire drive with the windows rolled up and he loved the smell even as a kid.
Fast forward several years when Jonathan convinced me we should go to Nicaragua and start making cigars working with AJ Fernandez, one of the finest cigar makers. Knowing that this was his dream, I agreed and was ready for the adventure. What an amazing trip to Esteli, Nicaragua where we worked closely with and learned from AJ.
My late husband Jonathan blended the Señor Rio Anejo cigar to pair with Señor Rio Anejo tequila. It has a full body that is earthy and spicy giving you over an hour of luxurious smoke. I blended the Señor Rio Diamante to pair with a cocktail or glass of Señor Rio Reposado tequila. The Diamante, meaning diamond, was dedicated to my daughters because it was the year of the diamond in our family. Both of them were married in 2014, Tiffany in May and Crystal in November.
The cigar business is quite different from the tequila business and is very competitive with 330 million premium cigars shipped to the United States in 2017. Even though cigars and spirits go hand in hand, most cigar smokers are not always eager to try a new cigar brand. Señor Rio cigars debuted in 2014 at Total Wine and More stores as well as a few select cigar shops. While we received nice reviews and sold out of our first run, we decided to stop producing the cigars to focus only on our first baby, Señor Rio tequila.
Thank you to everyone who supported our short journey in the Cigar business, we hope you still enjoy your favorite stick with Señor Rio tequila. If you happen to have any Senor Rio cigars in your humidor, know that they are a collectible so store them well or enjoy the smoke in memory of my late husband Jonathan.
MEMORIES TO LAST FOREVER
From time to time I still like to relax and enjoy a good stick while sipping tequila or a cocktail. It always brings back wonderful memories of my late husband Jonathan and our adventure to Nicaragua. Recently on a trip to Las Vegas I visited the Montecristo Cigar Bar at Caesars Palace. I enjoyed the Oliva Gran Reserva Serie V Limitada, it’s a very good smoke that is smooth and flavorful, just the way I like my tequila.
I would also like to congratulate AJ Fernandez; his Aging Room Nicaragua Maestro cigar was selected as the 2019 cigar of the year. I’m so glad we had the opportunity to work with one of the best cigar makers and I am grateful that we realized Jon’s dream of creating a cigar line!
About Senor Rio Page
The late Jonathon and Debbie Medina Gach, co-founders, met in business and built a relationship which turned into love. They discovered they had mutual interests and passions, one they decided to pursue was their love for tequila.
After 30 years Debbie and her late husband Jonathan traveled to Mexico to reunite with her father, Señor Rio. It was an emotional reunion and to help break the ice, her dad offered them tequila in a simple bottle with no name or label. He explained how he made this fine tequila and that the process went back three generations in his family. They shared his small batch of the best premium tequila and their life stories, bringing them together as a family. The next day they were amazed at how good they felt, no hangover or headache especially after drinking the entire bottle. When they returned to Arizona, Debbie and her late husband Jonathan thought what if…
Born on Cinco De Mayo 2009 in the little town of Tequila, Mexico. The first shipment arrived in Gilbert, Arizona on May 29, 2009. Debbie’s late husband Jonathon designed the beautiful bottle and for their logo they selected an old photo of Debbie’s dad. It now sits on every bottle and is known as the man with the hat or Señor Rio!
Señor Rio Tequila should not be hurried, it should be enjoyed with your family and close friends sharing your life stories and creating your memories.
“It is in the spirit of family and tradition that we proudly bring to you Señor Rio Tequila.”