Brothers of the Leaf Party in The Netherlands. For years, the second weekend of September is known as the Big Smoke weekend in the Netherlands. The cigar party that no Dutch cigar enthusiast wants to miss. Hanging out with cigar manufacturers, smoking cigars, and having a good time. But the coronavirus caused the Dutch Big Smoke 2020 to be canceled. Just as plenty of other events and trade shows.

With no cigar manufacturers coming to Europe, due to the cancelation of Intertabac, it would be a poor Big Smoke. So organizer Van Dalen Cigars canceled the events in an early stage. Which is the right thing to do. Many manufacturers aren’t even allowed to come to Europe due to the travel ban for Americans into the European Union. But that doesn’t mean there is no cigar event.

Brothers of the Leaf

To help Dutch retailers survive the ‘smart lockdown’ as the Dutch government called the Covid-19 measurements, distributor Longfiller Company started a movement. Together with a number of brands that are represented by Longfiller Company. Both the cigar brands and the distributor would lower the margins, which would ensure that retailer gets a higher net profit from the sales. That extra margin can be the decisive factor in surviving the pandemic or not for Dutch tobacconists. The name of the movent is Brothers of the Leaf versus Corona.

On Sunday, September 13 there will be a Brother of the Leaf versus Corona party. At the Big Smoke location at Restaurant Le Barrage in Alblasserdam. Tickets are 50 euro and will be for sale soon via Cigaragua and the four Van Dalen Cigars shops. It’s limited to 150 people. For that €50, attendees get some light snacks, beverages, and 5 coins. Those coins can be spent on cigars from participating brands of the Brothers of the Leaf project.

Participating brands in the movement are PDR, Joya de Nicaragua, Rocky Patel, Oliva, La Sagrada Familia, J.C. Newman, Condega, My Father, and Tatuaje. We were able to visit and write about the Big Smoke 2019 and 2018. Yet, due to the travel restrictions and the cancellation of Intertabac, we won’t be in Europe. But if we would, we would have loved to be at this party.