Creating Shisha - The Tobacco

My real appreciation of hookah has come down to tobacco.  When I first started smoking shisha, I loved the big fruity flavors, the classic double apple, and the massive clouds.  Somewhere along the line that took an abrupt turn and I find myself smoking unflavored shisha 75% of the time.  This led me to the idea that instead of taking a semi-flavorless tobacco and giving it different flavors, why not make a variety of tobaccos with the intent of experiencing the nuances of the leaf itself.

That's not to say that I don't still love my flavors.  Two of my favorites that I make are a banana/clove blend and a peppermint/blueberry blend.  I smoke them all the time and I love the experience.  And I'm also still addicted to Al Fakher's Double Apple with Mint.

But for me, the leaf is where it's at.  Here are a few that we use to make our shisha.  Each has their very own personality, look, and feel.  Each requires a different cut based on the build of the leaf which makes for its own challenge.  But the enjoyment is in the ritual, yes?

Canadian Virginia Flue Cured

The mainstay tobacco that we use for our flavored blends is the Virginia Flue Cured.  Light in color and light in flavor, it is a perfect leaf for flavoring.  And luckily it is one of the easier leafs to cut.  Being that everything we do is hand-cut, the process is very time consuming and tough on the hands.  Also known as Brightleaf Tobacco, it is a very smooth smoke.

The cut that we put on this leaf is done by rolling the tobacco into a bunch and cross cutting the roll.  This makes for a long, thick shisha leaf and gives a great amount of surface area for flavor to hold on to.  We are also able to separate the stems very cleanly from this leaf, so what you get is a 99% stem free shisha with a nice even cut.

American Virginia Flue Cured


Much fuller and richer in flavor that the Canadian Flue Cured, the American Virginia Flue Cured has a lot more depth and seemingly a greater buzz than the Canadian.  This is also a drier leaf with smaller stems that are reasonably usable and cut for the blend.  This makes for a different texture in the package than the Canadian.

The cut is also made slightly different because with the drier nature of the leaf, the cuts tend to be much smaller and random than that of the Canadian blends.  It also makes for a drier feel in the hands when being packed.

We only use the American VFC for unflavored blends.  It is a 100% natural Gallberry honey blend that we buy at a local farm.  When burning this blend, you can also get a beautiful whisp of the honey burning on the aroma.  The richness of the leaf is perfect for the light and flavorful honey mix as the two make a combination that is unmistakable once you've had a few bowls of it.

Connecticut Broad Leaf 

This is a big-punch leaf.  A very strong, but smooth and very flavorful leaf.  This is one that you don't want to smoke on for too long. lest you have a massive buzz.

A very elastic leaf, this one.  When we cut it, it takes much more effort and the leaf wants to bind up.  Not that it's not worth it.  This leaf is used in making the Magdy Louis blend, which is named after a man who I greatly respect.

This leaf is also special to me for another reason.  The punch this one packs, coupled with the massive flavor it throws off reminds me of smoking the difficult-to-find Tombac while I was in Egypt.  The Tombac was a man's-man smoke and I wanted to replicate that as closely as I could with this leaf.    Trying to replicate that experience requires a lot of heft.  Therefore, we make the Magdy Louis with 100% molasses and leave the honey out.  The rich molasses flavor is the only thing that can stand up to this big leaf and I must suggest smoking this blend with the same care as when smoking Tombac.  I woould recommend short, light puffs on this one as opposed to the big shisha drags you're probably used to.

Brazilian Habano Viso

This is a new leaf for us.  I have one pound sitting waiting for a glycerine injection as we speak.  I'm pretty excited about this leaf as everything I've read leads to me thinking that it is going to be very flavorful.  On this run, I am just blending it with Gallberry honey to see the nature of what the lead provides. It is also a very expensive tobacco, making the prospect somewhat nerve-racking.

When I received the leaf, the aroma was jumping out of the bag.  Described by experts as having a leathery, chocolaty, peppery aroma, I could definitely see the leather before I even opened the bag.  The texture on the leaf was also leathery and very easy to cut, with the perfect level of moisture for our needs.  

This particular leaf is apparently native to Cuba, but the seeds for this blend were planted and grown in Brazil.  From what I have read, it still keeps much of the characteristic of its Cuban cousin.

When we do get a good clutch on what this leaf is all about, I suspect it's going to be a candidate for a honey blend, but I'm leaning toward an orange blossom honey, which is also harvested 100% natural and local to me.  The flavors sound like they'd be a nice match, so this month of curing is going to see exceptionally long.
If there are any questions in reference to our leaves or what is used in which blends, feel free to ask.  We will also be moving into some more exotic leaves as time goes by to get deeper into the idea of unflavored shisha production.  Cheers to all of you and happy smoking!


 























  

The Renegade Reps Hookah Charity

It is a strong feeling that I have that any business should be accompanied by a cause that is strictly for good, for the betterment of someone else.  The influence and wide net cast by conducting business just presents too many great opportunities to do so that it is a shame to allow it to pass.  Thus, ever since the Renegade Reps Hookah venture has come to be, I have been trying to find a charitable cause that would best represent what we do and get the most bang for the recipient's buck.  It was on this great trip to Egypt that I ran across that opportunity.

The opportunity that we found was the Abu Elhagag Festival, an annual event that brings in peoples from all surrounding areas to experience community, music, dances, horse races, and a parade through the streets.  What struck me most about the event was a giant tent that was constructed for travelers.  Within this tent, those who do not have enough for lodging are free to stay, while the local families bring food for them to eat.  This assures that every person, whether poor or rich, can experience the festival.

A fascinating story of Abu Elhagag himself and the mosque (see above) that bears his name can be found by following this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Haggag_Mosque.  As you can see, the mosque (which was initially a church) was accidentally built atop the ruins of the Luxor Temple.  Due to this, the mosque appears embedded inside the ruins.

What made the idea for this cause tip for me was when a wagon full of kids pulled up and my brother had suggested that we buy them all hats from one of the local vendors.  We did and the kids were happy.  The most affecting part was seeing the thankfulness in the father when he came over to give us his blessing.  It didn't break the bank for us, but it clarified for me how appreciative the locals are for what they have.

So, we came up with this idea:  Just raise money and just give it to the poor in Luxor.  A very simple idea, but the gaff is in the simplicity.  This way, we can make sure that 100% of every dime donated can get directly into the hands of the poor.  It's that easy.  We will be there to provide, hand-to-hand, the funds we raise here in the States.

And here is how we're gonna raise the money:

I am finding select locations every week to rent hookahs out to the public.  Instead of paying for rental, we will simply take a donation for the cause.  The cause, which we are going to call Elhagag Festival Fundraiser, will be posted on Facebook each week where we will be and at what times.  As stated before, EVERY PENNY will go directly into the hands of the poor.  ALL COSTS associated will be absorbed by Renegade Reps.  It's a no-lose situation.

And the benefit is two-fold.  If anyone has been curious about smoking hookah, but is afraid of the general cost of rental or purchase, you can rent one at a cost that you feel comfortable with.  This way, you can see if you love the world of hookah or if it is just not for you.

If you'd like more information and would like to keep up with where we will be, just LIKE the Renegade Reps Hookah Facebook page and watch for updates.  Cheers!



 

Testing Some Home-Made Sheesha Flavors

The future lingers, the possibilities ever-grow, and the ideas continue to evolve into creative realities.

When we discussed importing hookahs into the United States, we also talked about trying to import our own brand of shisha to smoke out of said hookahs.  Somewhere along the line, the idea was thrown at me to actually create the shisha ourselves.  I remember the night, I remember the discussion, and I remember the person who gave me the idea (thank you Sarahrose).  I couldn't sleep that night.  Going over all of the tangents and adventures we could get into with this idea was greatly inspiring.

Ordering tobacco is no easy process.  I had no idea prior to this venture that there are 5 million types of tobacco grown right here in the US of A and they all offer a great variety of flavors and uses.  Unfortunately, I had no idea where to start.  What I did know was that we wanted to start with a whole leaf, cut it down ourselves, and complete the whole process ourselves, by hand.  The long, arduous process of cutting, mixing, and rubbing your fingers to get feeling back into them.

Making sheesha is pretty simple.  The ingredients are fairly easy to acquire and the process is more than enjoyable.  If you like cooking, you'd like making sheesha.  The recipe includes a mix of tobacco, molasses, honey, vegetable glycerin, and whatever flavors you want to flavor your smoke with.  Mix to your liking and smoke away.  It's that simple (pretty much).

For my first batch of sheesha, I wanted a very strong tobacco.  I figured that it nothing else, I could get the process of washing the leaves several times down to a science and learn as much about the dissolution of color and aroma from the washing.  I also wanted
to stick to some fairly simple flavors, so I rounded up some vanilla extract and some mint extract.  To start, this should at least be a decent learning tool.

I figured on making a mint, a mango, a vanilla, and a autumn type mix that was going to be my unique blend that I could toy with and see what happens.  My plan is to perfect that mix before Fall actually rolls around.

For the mint, I have been growing several mint plants at the casa and with the recent rains, they have been growing considerably and have some beautiful leaves ready to pick.  Big aroma and massive minty mouth feel on the these plants, so I'm really looking forward to the final product is able to sit and incorporate for a few weeks.

For the mango, I simply peeled a mango, cut it up, pureed it, and threw it in the mix.  Although it didn't provide the flavor of an extract, it helped the consistency and I think a good mix of both is the way to go.

My Autumn mix, which I simply called "spice" is a very aromatic blend of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and a few other flavors.  On the nose, it is brilliant.  The flavor is somewhat overpowered by the Connecticut Broad Leaf, but that'll easily be fixed by some lighter tobacco.

For a first batch, I think I definitely got the mixes down.  Although the tobacco turned out a tad overpowering, we got some great smokes, nice balance, and good clouds from the sheesha.  I was able to share with several folks at Abbey in DeLand and Mermaid Juice in Mount Dora and get some great feedback.  The Autumn mix went over especially well and I mixed up a 25/75 mint-mango that is turning out really good.

In the long term, we're talking about utilizing the Connecticut Broad Leaf to create some middle eastern style flavors, incorporating regional spices to accompany the stronger flavors of the tobacco.  For now, it's off to Egypt tonight for a few weeks and a chance to smoke some Tombac on Thursday.  Reviews to follow.  Cheers!

Introduction of Renegade Reps Hookah

The next new venture for the Renegade Reps crew is upon us.  On a recent trip to the Middle East, I fell in love with smoking shisha.  When I returned to the states and wanted to share my new hookahs that I had bought, I was surprised at how many folks really wanted to try it, but never actually took the dive.  Sharing with my friends proved one other major point as well - everyone loved it. 

Well, when there are a wealth of people interested in something and are hesitant to try it, it's a perfect opportunity to get it introduced around.  Of course, opening a hookah lounge would be the perfect opportunity, but there are plenty around and a hookah lounge forces folks to come inside.  Taking that first step inside can be scary to those who have not been introduced.  The answer, as far as I am concerned, is to bring the hookah experience to them.  

Getting started has not been interesting, to say the least.  As a Renegade Reps brand, one thing we absolutely see as a priority is authenticity.  Well, authentic ain't easy these days when you want to bring hookahs in from the Middle East.  Egypt to be specific.  We have been working with a few Egyptian manufacturers who produce 100% handmade pipes from tin and brass.  Language barrier aside, there are several safety issues right now that make it difficult not only to travel around Egypt, but possibly also to enter the country in the future.  A risk to be sure.  But I love Egypt and handmade pipes from Egypt are a very exciting proposition.  

The plan for this new venture is two-fold.  The first is that we will be available at local bars with hookahs for rent.  We have set up a permanent weekend spot at Cafe Davinci in DeLand and will be renting hookahs at that location.  We also have set up a few beer and hookah pairing events around the Volusia County area and we will keep everyone posted on that.  I am not sure if beer and hookah pairings have a precedent, so this could be a revolutionary experience.  Kinda excited.  

The second purpose of Renegade Reps Hookah is for home parties, corporate events, festivals, etc.  We have been lucky enough to score some really great decor for having home parties and a friend of mine was able to sew together a beautiful series of curtains and pillows to add to the environment (see pictures on right).  We can use these curtains to enclose a tent for outdoor events or evening private parties.  Again, a very cool thing that we kinda lucked into when we were chatting one night about the possibilities of what we could put together.  The result was at once dazzling and functional.  As the Egyptian culture is a colorful one, we focused on bright and vibrant colors.  The contrasts turned out brilliant and I am very proud of what we have assembled.  

In addition to what the Renegades are currently offering, we are looking to move forward into offering several authentically Egyptian beverages to enjoy with your smoke.  My personal favorite is the Mint Lemonade that I found in every restaurant and bar in Egypt and I could not resist myself but to order every single time.  A very simple beverage, but extremely refreshing and I am brought back to Luxor every time I have one.   

Of course, we are available 7 days a week and can custom any experience for you from a casual setting to a formal event, home or office, inside or out.  Feel free to contact us and we can set up a time and place.  Cheers!

420 Party and The Renegade Hookahs are a Go

The next chapter in the story line of Renegade Reps is page turned and the ink is wet.  Renegade Reps Hookah is underway.  This story couldn't have been more fulfilling for me, as we got the new business underway at a location that is dear to me.

The mobile hookah business came to mind when we realized that there are a great number of people who have not been exposed to the wonderful world of hookah and those people may never take the step themselves to buy a hookah or step into a hookah lounge to gain the experience.  With a mobile business, we get to take the experience to them, giving them a chance to try the idea out in the security of their own environment.

So when I asked my good buddy Daneaux if we could make our premier at his 420 Party at Mermaid Juice in Mount Dora, I was extremely excited when he agreed to the plan.  Additionally, in honor of 420, they were going to serve one of my favorite brews, Hazed and Infused, with hop brownies. Mike Wallace from Terrapin was also popping in to tap their cask of Mosaic Rype PA.

We set up around 5:00 and was surprised at how many folks were not only interested in smoking on some shisha, but how many had been curious for some time and had not taken the plunge.  That's a great sign for a new business when you have a lake of wonder dammed up by reticence.  As a business, the only thing you need to do is put concerns at ease and you've already got a great level of demand.  Very encouraging.

Josher and Tomo came down to help out and it's a good thing.  Demand was much higher for hookah rental than I had anticipated and I would have never been able to get through it on my own.  The customers that we gained were very cool people and it was great to be able to answer their questions and curiosities pertaining to smoking shisha.

We have a bunch of events already locked down for the near future and are adding on constantly.  Beginning next week, we will have a constant weekend gig at Cafe Davinci in DeLand.  Look us up and check us out.  Cheers!

Making Good On Our Promise To The Elderly

Rip Getting The Good Stuff to the Office

After several scheduling snafus, we finally were able to get together and gather the needed items for the tree for the Council on Ageing.  It's a good thing too, because the deadline was drawing near and we needed to get a move-on.

The trip to Costco is a tad away from Volusia County, so we packed up some beverages, A giant Chimay light up sign for Redlight Redlight, and a (we were soon to find out) delicious raspberry moonshine provided by my buddy Brett Maverick.

Getting to Costco was no problem.  Getting into Costco, no problem.  Picking up Depends and Ensure - somewhat awkward.  Of course, this was a big part of why we chose the Council on Ageing to help out this year.  I find an added benefit to charity is that you can arbitrarily put yourself in uncomfortable spots just for the sake of seeing how you will react to the situation.  We did get some funny looks while we were shopping and when Rip asked the person at the counter if they had Gold Bond, we could see all of the people in the pharmacy pointing and talking about us. Who knows - maybe they thought we were shopping for our grandparents.  Maybe they thought we were pulling a prank.  Who knows.

When we took the shopping cart to the front and the cashier started pulling our supplies out of the cart, I did explain to her what was up.  Standing there for the entire time it would take to check out would have been a tad weird, and I didn't want to do that to her.

Out the door and out to the car, we loaded up the supplies and popped open the moonshine that Maverick gave me.  Holy Moly smooth.  I had gotten a bottle of strawberry shine from him in the past and made some great strawberry moonshine frosting for a brownie cake that I made for a party at Davinci's.  That stuff was good.  This stuff - next level.  No burn, no pain, just good.

Heading home, we decided to stop in at Casey's on the Corner for some good grub before we headed to the County Building.  We always get treated well by the folks at Casey's and they are kind enough to have veggie dogs for those of us unfortunate enough to be non meat eaters.  Having a Veggie Chicago Dog at Casey's is one of my favorite things to do in DeLand and it seems extremely appropriate to indulge in such a treat today.  Add to that some beer, and it is a fine day indeed.

We sauntered into Casey's and saw they had Sam Adam's Winter Lager in, so it seemed like a no-brainer.  I ordered the veggie quesadillas (which are unbelievably delicious) and a Veggie Chicago Dog.  Mary at Casey's is always nice about letting me choose the veggies in my quesadillas, so I'm able to switch it up.  And of course, that most delicious of dogs, the Chicago Dog and an MGD to finish it off.

So off to drop off The Good Stuff at the County Building.  As I had documented in a prior post, this was the scene of a gut-wrenching realization to me that there are a massive number of people right under our noses who do not wants bicycles, Apple products, or any other ego-building gift for Christmas.  Many people, I found, just need some necessities to keep them going.  Not an epiphany that I'm particularly proud of.  These facts are staring us in the face all the time - just a moment to stop and witness it gave me some clarity.


Rip and I walk into the County Building and there was a young couple looking at the tree and pulling some of the angels off the tree.  This gave me a good deal of hope.  Being that the tree was not in a very conspicuous spot, the fear was that it would be up and forgotten with little attention paid to it.  Many of the angels that had previously sat on the tree were now gone, a good sign.     

Making the delivery was a great feeling.  Both myself and Rip felt it and we immediately started the inevitable discussion on what it is going to be like to get older and perhaps be left in that same type of situation.  Not a great conversation, but certainly one that concerns all of us from time to time.

As a company, Renegade Reps has yet to realize its full potential.  This year has definitely taught me that charity has to play a major role in our business model in order for us to maintain the momentum we need to keep going.  It is rejuvenating to give and we need that when times get tough and we seem to work a lot for a little bit of gain.  We are discussing of course, the many fundraisers we will do for ARK and I would like to continue to help the elderly.  Personally, I'm considering doing a major walk of some sort.  Something that can provide a challenge both physically and mentally.

Whatever the continuation of our business throws at us, we have given the upcoming year a name.  That name is 2013:  The Year of Good.  Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Charity for the Elderly

At this time of year, it seems like every person you come across wants you to donate for a cause they really believe in.  It gets so common that you may become desensitized to it.  I'm guilty of it too - I always ask for people to donate to a local animal rescue that I really believe in.

This past weekend, I came across one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen.  I was cutting through the lobby in the County Building in Volusia to use the restroom and there was a Christmas tree with those ubiquitous angels on it.  Figuring it was a tree for needy kids, I started turning the little requests around and was expecting to find "a new bike," an "Optimus Prime talking mask," or even a "Fragglestick Car."  What I found was foreign to me.  I found things I didn't comprehend at that moment.

I was seeing words like "depends" and "sweatshirts" . For a few seconds I was dumbfounded.  That was when I realized it wasn't a tree for kids who need toys, this was a tree for the elderly who were in dire need.  The fact that they were in need was not so dreadful - there are tons of needy people on this planet.  The elderly are not exempt from hard times.  The dreadful part was not that they needed things, the pain lay in what they needed.  

The list of needed items does not go much beyond basic toiletries, towels, clothing, and cleaning supplies.  How bad off do you need to be to want cleaning supplies for Christmas?

It's a painful reality sometimes in this land of plenty.  I live comfortably in a nice house, drive a new-ish car, buy a great bottle of whiskey whenever I want it.  We have so much in the United States, how is it that any group simply gets left behind to such a degree that their Christmas Wish is solely utilitarian and necessary for basic comforts?  I have my own opinions, but that's not important.

If there are any groups that regularly conduct fund-raising efforts and need to find a beneficiary from time-to-time, maybe consider an elderly group.  As a civilian, I know I have forgotten about the needs of these folks.  And if you are reading this and have a desire to help out, the tree is located in the Volusia County Services Building and the donation center is in Room 100 in that same building (same room as Veterans Services).

We're going to try to get something going between now and Christmas so please keep your eyes peeled.  Cheers!

Solar Bears Out Of Hibernation

The Renegade Reps love 'em some hockey.  Woefully, being fans of northeastern sports - none of us have had a team to pull for in the state of Florida.  That all changed when the Orlando Solar Bears announced they would return to the ice.  I myself have seen the Solar Bears live some years ago before their league folded.  I dug the vibe of the Home Team and was not at all happy when the league went under.

Well, earlier this year the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) announced they had approved the Minnesota Wild affiliate Orlando Solar Bears to "come out of hibernation."  Season tickets?  Oooooh yeah!

Game 1 finally comes around on Friday, October 20 and off to the game we go.

First of all, the Arena was sold out and the crowd was abuzz over the new team.  The food vending has improved from hot dogs and popcorn to all types of adventurous food (for a stadium) and they have installed a Gentleman Jack Lounge and lots of Jack Daniels at the bars.  This makes me personally very happy, being a lover of Jack, but they threw in an extra bonus that I did not even know - they charge the same price for Jack, Single Barrel Jack, and Gentleman Jack!  Not that a $9.00 pour makes you feel great, but at an arena, nine bucks for Gentleman Jack does not sting so much.

On that front, the arena has also brought in some craft beers from Craft Brewers Alliance (Kona, Widmer, Red Hook, etc.) and have picked up Guinness and Heineken.  Not so bad for Florida.

When the team announcements began and the crowd was fully seated, the energy was insane.  When the players came onto the ice, being introduced one-by-one it was easily apparent that this team was here to stay.  There was an immediate love between these fans and this new franchise.  The biggest cheers came for team captain Ryan Cruthers, in part due to the simple fact that he is captain, but he had also been the team's top goal scorer thus far and had led the team to an 8-2 win the previous night at the Florida Everblades out of Estero.

The visiting team jumped out to a 1-0 lead and that was quite a buzz kill.  However, when the Solar Bear Mathew Siska netted the next goal, the place went total bat-shit.  It was incredible.  The sirens, the lights, the cheers and whistles of the crowd - unreal.

This Solar Bears team is very soft on the boards, but is certainly not afraid to throw off the gloves and get down.  They are also not afraid to use their bodies to block shots.  Patiently aggressive, watching this team is gonna rock.

The game continued on with the teams swapping goals and tying 3-3 going into overtime.  After a 5 minute overtime, it was shootout time.  The first 5 scorers did not hit the back of the net, so it became and goal-for-goal situation with the Everblades shooting last.  Scary to watch.  The Bears finally took a lead when the 6'5" Kyle Medvec skated toward the net and just let loose a massive slapshot over the goalie's stick side.  That score was met, unfortunately by the next Everblades skater and the shootout continued until Sean Lorenz hit the back of the net, leaving goalie John Curry to save the day.

When the Everblades skater tried to put the puck to the blocker side, he was stuffed and the crowd once again blew the roof off the arena.  An unbelievable way to bring a team back to their home crowd.

This game had it all - tons of fights, awesome goal scoring, and a shootout victory to ice the cake.  This year is gonna be great.  Cheers!