THE BEGINNING OF A TRADITION

THE STORY OF FEDERICO EMPIRE HAS ITS ROOTS IN LAS VILLAS, PROVINCE OF CUBA WHERE THE GREAT MASTER CIGAR ROLLER FEDERICO HERNANDEZ (1936 - 2022) BEGINS HIS CAREER.

AT THE AGE OF 13, HE JOINED AS AN APPRENTICE OF A CIGAR ROLLER IN A SMALL CIGAR FACTORY NAME 'TABACOS SARDUY'.

IN 1954, AT THE AGE OF 18, HE MOVED TO HAVANA, THE CAPITAL OF CUBA, AND BEGAN TO REALIZE HIS DREAM AS A MASTER CIGAR ROLLER IN THE FAMOUS CIGAR FACTORY "POR LARRANAGA".  IN THAT YEAR, HE STARTED TO ACQUIRE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF THE FAMOUS CUBAN CIGARS, BY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BEST SPECIALISTS AND PRODUCERS OF THE LEAF IN THE FIELD..

IN THE COURSE OF TIME, BECOME A GRAND MASTER CIGAR ROLLER, HE WORKED IN THE MOST RENOWNED CIGAR FACTORIES OF THE TIME. " H UPMANN", "PARTAGAS", "HOYO DE MONTERREY" AND "LA CORONA".

IN 1970, HIS SKILL IN MAKING THE EMBLEMATIC CUBAN CIGARS GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE VERY FAMOUS AND RENOWNED BRAND OF CIGARS "MONTECRISTO" AS AMBASSADOR OF "CUBATABACO" (OLD NAME OF "HABANOS S.A").

THERE WERE MANY COUNTRIES, WHERE HE MADE KNOWN HIS ART AS A GREAT MASTER CIGAR ROLLER, GIVING CONFERENCES ON THE COMPLEX PROCESS AND MANUFACTURE OF THE VERY FAMOUS CUBAN CIGARS, "CANADA", "MEXICO", "GERMANY", "BELGIUM", "FRANCE ", "SWEDEN", "SPAIN", "PORTUGAL", "SWITZERLAND" AND "GREAT BRITAIN".

IN THE YEAR 1976 HE WORKED IN LONDON FOR RICHARD DUNHILL (GRANDSON OF THE FOUNDER ALFRED DUNHILL LTD) AND ON AUGUST 26, 1979 HE MEET ZINO DAVIDOFF IN THE "GRANS MONTANA", SWITZERLAND WHERE HE MANUFACTURED A 60-INCH HABANO CURE, COMPLETELY MADE BY HAND.

MANY YEARS OF SUCCESS OCCUPYED HIS LIFE, LEAVING AN INDERELABLE MARK, WITH HIS SKILLS AND WORLDWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE CENTENARY ART OF MAKING A CIGAR.

FEDERICO HERNANDEZ'S DREAM WAS ALWAYS TO TRANSCEND BORDERS AND CREATE HIS OWN CIGAR VITOLAS, FOR THE MOST REFINED PALATES.

YEARS LATER, HIS SON BORIS L. HERNANDEZ, A CUBAN MIGRANT IN MIAMI, MASTER CIGAR ROLLER AND MASTER BLENDER, MATERIALIZED HIS FATHER'S LEGACY.  IN 2015 HE CREATED "FEDERICO EMPIRE CIGAR" LOCATED IN THE HEART OF LITTLE HAVANA, ON THE FAMOUS CALLE OCHO.

"FEDERICO EMPIRE CIGAR" WAS BORN FROM THE PASSION TO PRESERVE THE CUBAN TRADITION OF MAKING A HABANO CIGAR, WITH THE SECRET FORMULAS, INHERITED FROM ANCESTORS MASTER CIGAR BLENDERS AND SURROUNDED BY A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED MASTER CUBAN ROLLERS, BORIS L. HERNANDEZ WAS ABLE TO MATERIALIZE, THE VISION OF HIS FATHER.

THE NAME "FEDERICO EMPIRE" TRANSCENDED TO BECOME A SYNONYMOUS OF EXELLENCE, A LEGACY THAT LASTS TODAY, IN VITOLAS OF OLD CIGARS, WHICH EVOKE THE SOUL OF CUBA, WITH EVERY PUFF.  LUXURY FOR THE SENSES, A LIFETIME WORK, DEDICATED TO THE NOBLE ART OF MAKING A CIGAR.

MORE THAN MANUFACTURING CIGARS, "FEDERICO EMPIRE" HONORS A LEGACY OF CULTURE AND HISTORY.

OUR CATALOG IS AN INVITATION TO DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF A CIGAR.  WHEN PURCHASING AT "FEDERICO EMPIRE", THE CUSTOMER BECOME PART OF THAT LEGACY, MORE THAN PURCHASING A PRODUCT, THEY TAKE HOME A PIECE OF THE CUBAN SOUL.

IT IS THIS CULTURAL CONNECTION, WHICH DISTINGUISHES "FEDERICO EMPIRE" AS AN AUTHENTIC CUBAN EXPERIENCE IN MIAMI.