Zig Zag: The Brand That Revolutionized the Way We Smoke
Zig Zag has been manufacturing the world's most iconic rolling papers for over 140 years. In addition to producing rolling papers, the brand now also sells cigarette papers, cigar wraps, cigars, and cigarillos. Zig Zag cigars are machine-made tobacco products that contain Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobaccos and are wrapped in natural wrappers. As a cigar smoker, you might know or have even tried Zig Zag cigars, but do you know the long history behind the brand?
In 1879, two French brothers, Jacques and Maurice Braunstein, decided to establish a cigarette paper company. They built the Papeterie de Gassicourt, a manufacturing facility not far from Paris, France. The brothers would buy large rolls of paper and turn them into reusable rolling papers. When it was time to decide on the artwork, Jacques and Maurice placed a Zouave, a soldier of the French Army from the 18th and 19th centuries, on the packaging.
The brothers managed to have a real breakthrough — they invented a brand-new technology in which the next rolling paper would automatically come out of the package after the previous one was pulled from it. It was a real sensation in various industries and played a huge role in the brand's success. Jacques and Maurice eventually received a gold medal from the Universal Expositional in Paris for this innovation, and the brothers officially registered and trademarked the company name, “Zig Zag.”
The brand continued to grow, and in 1919, the Braunsteins moved their main paper manufacturing facility from Saint Aubin to Thonon-les-Bains, another French town. Thonon-les-Bains wasn't just a random choice: it's located right next to the Alps, which means Zig Zag always had access to a natural source of clear water. This allowed them to improve the quality of their products — and to this day, the freshwater coming down from the Alps is still key in upholding the top standards of Zig & Zag products.
In the 60s, the brand made its way to ads. Big Brother and the Holding Company, led by Janis Joplin, used the Zig Zag brand to advertise one of their performances in California. This was not the only time Zig Zag was mentioned in pop culture: if you remember the cover of Dr. Dre's very first album, “The Chronic,” you will realize that Dr. Dre's face was framed by the legendary Zig Zag product logo. Of course, this strengthened the positions of Zig Zag's brand in culture and basically made it a household name.
It's been over 140 years since the company was founded, and it's still growing and evolving. The brand constantly comes up with new products, such as ultra-thin rolling papers, cigarillos, cigars, and more.
Speaking of Zig Zag cigarillos, they were first introduced in the late 2000s. At first, they were only available in four flavors:
Peach
Grape
Mango
Straight Up, also known as Zig Zag Regulars. These are unflavored cigarillos made for those who prefer the true tobacco taste to any sweetish or fruity flavor.
However, the company soon realized that this was not enough. There was (and still is) a huge demand for flavored cigars and cigarillos, so Zig Zag went ahead and released three more flavors in addition to the existing ones:
Sweets
White Grape
Strawberry
A cigarillo is basically a small cigar. It is shorter and narrower than a cigar but is very different from a cigarette. Just like cigars and unlike cigarettes, cigarillos are usually wrapped in brown tobacco-based paper, made without filters, and are not supposed to be inhaled. With that said, a cigarillo is a perfect alternative for those who would love to light a cigar during the day but don't have enough time for it. A cigarillo requires way less time to smoke but still provides the authentic smoking experience that cigar fans enjoy.
Additionally, cigarettes became extremely expensive in the 2000s as the US government began to fight the nicotine addiction of the population, thus leading to a significant increase in cigarillo production and sales.
Zig Zag tobacco products are very affordable, which you can see for yourself on our website. But despite that, they still are top-quality products with an amazing taste and a splendid aroma. Zig Zag cigarillos might be machine-made, but you can't even tell! They are so smooth and slow-burning that you'd think each Zig Zag was hand-rolled with a lot of love and care.
Zig Zags come in 15 packs of three resealable pouches that keep the cigarillos fresh and aromatic. You can enjoy the rich taste of a Zig Zag at any time, wherever you are!
With more than 140 years of being in the industry, Zig Zag still delivers high-quality products, from cigars to rolling papers. They have set high standards for themselves and the entire tobacco industry — and continue to meet them. It's safe to say that Jacques and Maurice Braunstein changed the game by coming up with a new way to get rolling paper out of the package. Just think about it: this interleaving process still remains a world standard for rolling paper products in pretty much every country in the world!
We hope you are as impressed by the history of Zig Zag tobacco products as we are. If you want to try the revolutionary product, you've come to the right place. Place an online order now at Tobacco General, enter your shipping information, and get excited for your delivery! Have a look at the list of the US states we ship to beforehand.
It is important to note here that people under 21 years of age are not allowed to purchase cigars, cigarettes, cigarillos, or other tobacco-related products at TobaccoGeneral or any online store. Please confirm that you have reached the age of 21 and keep browsing through our products!
