theNatShermanflagshipstore inmidtownManhat-
tanendingwithacigarandbeertasting;atake-no-
prisoners lunchwitha
CigarAficionado
editoratThe
LambsClub;atutorial for50smokersatacigarstore in
Connecticut;andpacking forhismore-or-lessregular
tripstotheQuesadaCigarsFactory intheDominican
Republic,whichmakestheShermancigars.
Thoughhetriestoguardhisweekendswithhiswife
andyear-oldchild,Herklots isaman inmotionduring
theworkweek.Sotheespressohelps.
Herklots isaDutchname,buttheotherhalfofhis
heritage, Italian, seemstoholdgreatersway.Raised
insuburbanConnecticut,Herklots isnowaboutas
NewYork-savvyastheycome.Histutoredcigartast-
ingsarearipemixtureoferuditionand fast-paced
shtick, spicedwithanexpletiveorthreethat leavehis
predominantly(butrarelyexclusively)maleaudience
unfazed, laughingandenlightenedaboutthemakings
ofapremiumcigar.
Not longafterthatfirst life-changingpu,Herklots
snaggedapart-time jobsellingcigarsataBostonkiosk.
Fairlyquickly,hewasput incharge. “I
calledallmybuddiesandsaid, ‘Ihavegood
newsandbadnews.Thegoodnews iswe’re
goingtosmoke freecigarsandyouallhave
jobs.Thebadnews is,youallhave jobs.’”
Herklots’postgraduationplanwasto
movetoNewYorkasamusician.Buthe
hadbefriendedBostontobacconistDavid
Kitchens,whohadgonetoNewYorkto
runDavido’sMadisonAvenuecigar
shop.WhenHerklotswasabouttomove,
Kitchenstoldhimhehada job.Hearrived
inMayof2002;byJulyhewasthetop
salesman, thoughnotwhatonemight
expecttofind inaDavidostore:awiry
youngguywithaBackstreetBoyshaircut
andfiveearrings inoneear.
“ButIwas incrediblypassionate,willing
toworkhard,andIhadadierentstyle
thatIthinkappealedtopeople,”Herklotssays.Part
of thestylewastocreateeventsthatmarriedcigar
tastingsto foodpairings. “Ithinkwewerethefirstto
docigardinnersright inthestore,”henotes.By2006,
HerklotswasthegeneralmanagerofDavido’s
ColumbusCirclestore.AndwhenKitchensmovedon
in2008,HerklotsbeganrunningbothDavidostores
inNewYork.He’dcomea longway inashorttime
andcouldn’tbelievehisgood fortune.Sowhenthe
Sherman familybegancourtinghim in2011,Herklots
recognized it forwhat itwas—abadcareermove.
JOELSHERMAN
,Nat’sson, studieddrummingwithGene
Krupa.When,afterseveraldemurrals,Herklotsfinally
agreedtomeetwiththe family,Shermanrappeda
rhythmonthetableandasked ifHerklotsknewwhat it
was. “Sure,”hesaid, “it’saparadiddle, thoughIusually
do itthisway,”andhe laidoutaquickright-left-right-
right—left-right-left-leftri.
“WhenMr.Shermanschooledmeondrumrudi-
ments, Ithink itwashiswaytosee ifIwashonest, ifI
waswhatIclaimed,”Herklotssays. “Itspokevolumes
tomeaboutthis familyandwhatthey’reabout,which
is,aboveall,averyhonest,ethical, loyal,aboveboard,
1,000percent familybusiness.”
NatShermanopenedhisfirstretailcigarstore in
Manhattan in1930.Even inthedepthsof theDepres-
sion,businesswasgood,and itbecamebetterwhenthe
companydeveloped itsowncigarette line.The“tobac-
conisttotheworld”wasflyinghigh,withrevenues
intothemillionsandclientelethatShermancourted
withhisownshowbizflair—moviestars,gangsters,
ballplayers,kingsandcounselors. (Amongthemany
classic letters framed inthemidtownstore isone from
thePalaisdeMonaco,notinganenclosedpersonal
check fromHisSereneHighnesssettlinganoutstand-
ingaccountof$10.79.)
But thingsstarted toslide. Joel left thecompany
in1978, andNatmoved toFlorida, trying torun the
company from thereashishealthdeclined.After
Nat’sdeath in1990, Joel returned to take thereins,
andhischildren,William,MicheleandLarry, came
onboard tohelprestore the luster. In2007, thecom-
panymoved to its fourth location, at12E.42ndStreet,
whichoersanelegantshrine to thesmokingarts.
Still, thecompany’sreputation inthecigarworld
had faded,generatingmorenostalgicadmirationthan
excitement.The familyhadrunoutof ideas,butthey
knewwhohadsome.Givena freehand,Herklotstook
the job—and immediatelyshutdownthecigarsideof
thebusiness.
“It’snotthatweweren’tsuccessful.Butwedecided
totakeastart-overapproach.Wediscontinued70per-
centof thebrandsandblendsthatexistedandstopped
sellingcigars forsixmonths.Notasinglestick.We
cutbacktothreeblendswewantedtokeepandgrow.
Whenwecameback,wehadagreements fromretailers
tohonornewpricing.”
Wasn’tthisabitofagambleontheShermans’part?
“Itwasatotalgamble,”saysHerklots. “Acomplete leap
of faith.”
ButretailersarenowsellingmoreNatSherman
cigarsthantheyeversoldatdiscounts.And fromthe
OPPOSITEAND
ABOVE:
Michael
Herklots inside theNat
ShermanTownhouse;
the front entrance to
theTownhouse
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