Heading To Chicago This Weekend...
- Thread starter hawk60ce
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If you don't go to Iwan Ries, then you might as well not go to Chicago. Just stay home.
Seriously - it is one of probably a handful of B&M's that are worth a special trip to their respective locations just to go to the store. The other 2 I would consider would be the Park Rd McCranie's and The Briary (I'll get there eventually)
Another good place is Up Down Cigar, which the last time I was there (May?) had a sizeable selection of good pipes and a great humidor too.
Seriously - it is one of probably a handful of B&M's that are worth a special trip to their respective locations just to go to the store. The other 2 I would consider would be the Park Rd McCranie's and The Briary (I'll get there eventually)
Another good place is Up Down Cigar, which the last time I was there (May?) had a sizeable selection of good pipes and a great humidor too.
Plus Iwan Ries is the oldest family run pipe shop in the US. It was pretty sweet. They had great deals on estates that you can't get on their website. I love their gourmet english blend.
Iwan Ries is a really cool place. When you hit the entrance on the street you know you're there by the smell alone. The place is on the second floor of a really old building. It's exactly what I picture as a true tobacco shop.
Hawk, if you're the kind of person who feels overwhelmed at a B&M, you may want to stay an extra day, because when you walk in that place, it's going to be like Charlie when he first walked into the Willy Wonka main room. You are going to completely lose all control. There are drawers and drawers of new and estate pipes everywhere, probably too many to see in one visit, and two walls filled with every imaginable pipe brand, and an entire gigantic section on 2 walls of more tobacco than you could even imagine in one single store. Then, there's the multiple humidors stocked to the limit that are all over the place. Then, they have a small smoking lounge off to the side.
But that's not the best part. There is an entire other area, which is called the Front Room, a giant, oak-paneled smoking business center, with huge chairs and televisions and lockers and a conference/meeting room area with a full-service business environment for business travelers who want to escape and work (it used to be $10 for a day pass, totally worth it, but it may have gone up a little since last year because of popularity). They do sell yearly memberships to the Front Room and the story of that place is pretty amazing.
You are going to leave with a shopping cart full of tobacco, pipes, and cigars. It is inevitable, just give in and don't worry about it
But that's not the best part. There is an entire other area, which is called the Front Room, a giant, oak-paneled smoking business center, with huge chairs and televisions and lockers and a conference/meeting room area with a full-service business environment for business travelers who want to escape and work (it used to be $10 for a day pass, totally worth it, but it may have gone up a little since last year because of popularity). They do sell yearly memberships to the Front Room and the story of that place is pretty amazing.
You are going to leave with a shopping cart full of tobacco, pipes, and cigars. It is inevitable, just give in and don't worry about it
Iwan Ries is an American icon in the tobacco world. It should be preserved by the historical society. It really is something to witness.
Estates are really cheap and the staff was very friendly even to me who could clearly not spend a bunch of money. I really hope they stick around for a long time.
Iwan Ries is utterly amazing. The Charle & The Chocolate factory imagery is spot on.
I make a solemn pilgrimmage there every single year. I also get some Chicago deep dish pizza.
You'll be shocked at some of the prices at Iwan Ries. I've found pipes there for $50 or less that I *know* sell online for 200-400 - and they were not estates, either. Just really deep sales that happen very randomly.
I make a solemn pilgrimmage there every single year. I also get some Chicago deep dish pizza.
You'll be shocked at some of the prices at Iwan Ries. I've found pipes there for $50 or less that I *know* sell online for 200-400 - and they were not estates, either. Just really deep sales that happen very randomly.
Tobacco prices there have gone up somewhat due to Cook county passing tax hikes, though.
I would plan on a pipe - a momento of the journey - and then just pick up a little tobacco to smoke. That would be my plan.
Their tobacco selection is very good, though. I've often picked up 3-4 tins of Penzance, or Full Virginia Flake, from there. It's not a large enough quantity to bother updating the website with. But if you closely inspect the Wall of Tobacco, often trying to hide at the bottom of the shelving.
I would plan on a pipe - a momento of the journey - and then just pick up a little tobacco to smoke. That would be my plan.
Their tobacco selection is very good, though. I've often picked up 3-4 tins of Penzance, or Full Virginia Flake, from there. It's not a large enough quantity to bother updating the website with. But if you closely inspect the Wall of Tobacco, often trying to hide at the bottom of the shelving.
That conference room would be a great place for a bunch of us to meet sometime and have a smoke. That would be a blast.
The conference center, I believe, is cigars only - although Hawk may want to check that when he's there. One of the stipulations of converting what was then a storage area into the actual conference center was that it had to be cigars only. But I am not sure on that. And it is completely cool, there are windows that look out on Wabash and the Loop and it's pretty incredible. There are photos on their website.
Also - I just noticed their slogan - "This IS your grandfather's smoke shop!"
Also - I just noticed their slogan - "This IS your grandfather's smoke shop!"
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