A Cuban sandwich, a Cuban-style cigar

Cigars have been the smoke of choice for the wealthy and independent since the early 1900s, when America was booming.

"Cigarettes were considered for the proletariat," said Corey Johnston, owner of the Indy Cigar Bar on the Northside. "Cigars were for the people who could afford them."

And while America may not be booming these days, Johnston -- who has worked in the cigar industry for 19 years -- has seen no slowdown in cigar smoking.

"A lot of men and women (are) finding that you can enjoy a cigar for an hour and a half and it's an enjoyable luxury," Johnston says.

At Indy Cigar Bar, super-premium cigars ($10 or more) sell quite well, with the most popular being Davidoff ($12 to $25) and Padron ($10 to $40). The place is also home to 15 types of bourbons and 25 single-malt Scotches, plus a reputedly killer Cuban sandwich.