Hailing from the city of Danlí, Honduras, Ana Joaquina Rodríguez is a woman who seamlessly balances her roles as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. As the owner of Joaquín Blanco Cigars, a brand with which she has successfully entered the industry, her goal is to offer the world premium cigars that stand out not only for their quality but also for their sophistication and elegance in every detail.
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Growing up in the eastern region of Honduras, considered the cradle of local tobacco, Ana Joaquina was exposed from a young age to the aroma emanating from factories and the smoke produced by cigars, which she didn’t mind, she recalls. As the daughter of a rancher, Don José Gustavo Rodríguez, and Doña Graciela Vargas Betanco, a professional in administration, she was also raised among cows and horses on her maternal relatives’ coffee farms.
Although she enjoyed social events as a child and dreamed of becoming a diplomat, she chose Industrial Engineering when she entered university, “the ideal training to know a bit of everything: marketing, finance, production, quality…” In other words, to become an entrepreneur.
Ana Joaquina shares that after participating in various projects as a student and later as a professional, one day she said, “Well, I’ve always liked the smell of tobacco smoke, I grew up in a tobacco city, and this is the business I’m going to start.” In 2011, she decided to create a cigar brand, and so it happened.
As an International Cooperation Manager for a Ministry, she participated in an event called Honduras is Open for Business in San Pedro Sula. Attendees from around the world were present, and it was decided that among the gifts for entrepreneurs, sheikhs, and presidents would be cigars from the Joaquín Blanco brand.
“That was my launch; an unforgettable, impressive experience,” she says, as she hadn’t imagined her ability to sell. She did so with great ease and felt satisfied, as people were impressed, and many believed she had been in the industry for some time. “I met many people, and doors opened for me. Since then, we’ve continued like this, with big and small achievements, which are ultimately triumphs. The important thing is to keep moving forward.”
Learning the Craft
No one in Ana Joaquina’s family smokes, but her father has Cuban friends, who represent an important community in Danlí. So, to create her brand, she knocked on the doors of people she knew, and they helped her. “I had never tried tobacco, so when I visited them to see the entire production process, I had my first smokes and pairings –well-guided, of course.”
Sometimes she spent entire days observing the packaging process, stripping, the work of the torcedores and bunch makers, and the selection of different types of leaves for wrappers, binders, and fillers. “They invited me to meetings and instructed me: ‘You’re going to smoke this tobacco and pair it with this wine.’ I learned a lot.”
The initial batch for the brand’s launch was around 3,500 cigars, a significant number for a start, and she decided on four vitolas: Robusto, Torpedo, Toro, and Churchill, presented with three blends and strengths. The mild one features a Connecticut wrapper; the medium, a double wrapper and Habano; and the medium to full-bodied, a Mexican Negro San Andrés wrapper.
Over time, Ana Joaquina met more people connected to the industry, visited other factories, and expanded her knowledge: “Now I’m a smoker with some experience. Why did I choose tobacco and not another business? Because it’s a luxury accessory, elegant; a distinguished product, and I feel that aligns with my personality.”
The Brand
A woman of strong convictions, Ana Joaquina never saw the male dominance in the industry as an obstacle; on the contrary, she saw it as a great opportunity. Through this venture, she entered the world of commerce and international relations, “because I deal with people from all over the world and, in a way, with everything I love.”
The brand’s name, aside from her own and the fact that many of her aunts and uncles are named Joaquín or Joaquina, honors her great-grandfather, Don Joaquín Zavala, a pillar of the family who took care of her father –the man she admires most– after he lost his own father at the age of nine. The “Blanco” comes from her family’s surnames, chosen for its appealing and commercially appropriate sound.
She designed everything necessary for her products. “The names of the blends, presentations, bands, logos, etc., I do it all myself. My motto, which is Leyenda de Familia (Family Legend)… I have a knack for getting everything right with Joaquín Blanco; what comes to my mind, that’s how it’s done, and that’s how it stays.”
Due to her work as an International Cooperation Manager and later as a Consultant, the company remained “a bit dormant” between 2014 and 2016. However, her return to Danlí marked a new beginning, and she hasn’t stopped since.
Joaquín Blanco currently offers seven blends in various vitolas. In addition to Platinum, a commemorative edition for its 11th anniversary, the Valle Corojo blend, with a Corojo wrapper, comes in a Robusto size; Señor 1944 in Rothschild and Churchill; the Serie G&G in Toro and Lancero; Rey Salomón is a figurado with a double wrapper; the Edición 2010 in Toro and Petit Corona; a box pressed Edición Especial Gold; and a short Gordo G at 6 inches, ring gauge 58.
The idea is to offer options for beginners, experienced smokers, and those who enjoy a cigar occasionally. For added variety, she also sells accessories, such as a line of humidors that extends to premium boxes equipped to serve that purpose: “This way, I try to save my clients time.” There’s also the Panorama box, with four levels, containing 20 pieces of four different blends.
Reengineering
With Raíces Cubanas as the factory responsible for producing Joaquín Blanco Cigars, Ana Joaquina decided to reengineer all the blends. “We’ve met with the master blender several times, and the last time we noticed that the cigars have improved. They’re now resting, and I’m very excited about the work we’re doing. We’re on the right track.”
Now that she’s had the opportunity to become a mother to “two wonderful children” and soon a third, she makes time for her family without neglecting the business. “I handle some things from home, and I have a team that helps me with marketing,” as the brand has gained international attention and expanded beyond Honduras.
Her client base is growing, and the product reaches the end consumer directly from Honduras. She ships to Nicaragua, Cuba, Argentina, the United States, Belgium, El Salvador, China, Vietnam, and Spain, where, as in Italy, there are people interested in representing her brand. She recently reached Taiwan. “The situation is encouraging because the origin of tobacco is no longer just Cuba; people are changing.”
As an exclusive preview, she reveals that this year she will launch a new Valle Corojo blend, Edición Roja, a 5-inch Robusto with a Corojo wrapper, ring gauge 50, entirely Honduran. It’s slightly milder and sweeter than the traditional edition and will come in boxes of 25 units: “It’s a blend I didn’t manage to release last year, but everything is ready now.”
She adds that today, women aren’t necessarily looking for a mild cigar. There are great female smokers who have broken gender stereotypes, “but others are just starting, and there are also experienced smokers who enjoy a mild cigar… that’s what Edición Roja is about.”
In the local market, in addition to regular consumers, many young people are smoking tobacco: “It’s impressive how this segment has grown. I have countless new clients between 25 and 30 years old.” Fortunately, the restrictive measures of previous governments have changed, and now there are terraces, cigar lounges, and cafes where smoking is freely allowed.
Alliances
Ana Joaquina believes that people themselves become the best promoters. For this reason, she has participated in various events at embassies, golf clubs, cigar shows, and the Honduras International Billfish Open, considered the best sportfishing tournament in the Caribbean, among others.
She says that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the landscape has changed, and the empowerment of women in the industry has been remarkable. Interaction through social media was crucial, as it made the woman behind Joaquín Blanco and the brand itself more visible. “It was impressive because you reach so many people who even wrote to me, and with other women, we found the opportunity to start new projects.”
Reflecting on the past few years, she affirms that she has achieved “what I consider great things. People seek out the brand, and I’m happy with the work done. We’re doing very well, but I have an unlimited vision for both the brand and myself in this position. Because there was a Honduran woman in the tobacco world before me: Mrs. Maya Selva, a very successful entrepreneur with a 25-year career, whom I deeply respect… But being the second from this country fills me with satisfaction and joy.”
