The inaugural episode of the Hand Rolled docuseries, Hand Rolled: J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is now available to stream for free on YouTube. This series follows the success of the Hand Rolled film, which has been streamed more than 250,000 times on YouTube. Since the documentary was released on Tuesday night, it has already been viewed by thousands of cigar enthusiasts.
“We invite you to join us as we delve into the illustrious 128-year history of the oldest cigar company in America,” said filmakers Steve Gherebean and Jesse Mariut. “The episode tells the story of how Tampa became the ‘Fine Cigar Capital of the World’ and how the Newman family keeps the American cigar-making tradition alive at El Reloj, the last traditional cigar factory still operating in the United States.”
The Hand Rolled docuseries was produced by Render Social, the award-winning production company who behind the Hand Rolled film. This episode includes interviews with Jeff Borysiewicz, Aimee Cooks, Carlos “Carlito” Fuente, Patrick Lagreid, Gary Mormino, Scott Pearce, E.J. Salcines, and David Savona along with the Newman family.
“This episode will bring cigar enthusiasts from around the world to the ‘Cigar City’ of Tampa, Florida,” said Newman. “It shares the colorful history Tampa’s Ybor City National Historic Cigar District, which at its peak had 150 cigar factories rolling more than 500 million cigars by hand per year. My family and I are so grateful to Render Social and Executive Producer Pete Johnson for helping us share this important cigar story.”
