Category: Hubbly-Bubbly

How To: Hookah Lounges

As prevalent in parts of the Middle East and India as delis or Starbucks are in the United States, with one on every corner, hookah lounges and hookah bars, once quite rare in the West, have lately been seeing a rise in popularity here. From the friendly ambience of many of these establishments to the uniquely relaxed mood of hookah smoking and the kid-in-a-candy store variety of flavorful tobaccos available, hookah lounges and bars have a lot on offer.

Much of this upsurge in popularity is due to college and university populations, who find hookah lounges an attractive way to spend quality time with friends in a sober, but socially easy, environment. Hookah lounges are big with sororities and fraternities, but there are older sets of patrons on the scene as well, and a multiplicity of ethnicities and people from all walks of life can be found in various hookah lounges.

Different hookah bars and lounges offer different things to go with the smoking experience. At some lounges, an older clientele comes to play cards, backgammon, or chess, while pool tables, video games, and big screen TVs are on offer for the younger crowd. Many lounges serve food and drink, from Turkish coffee, spicy chai, and honey-drenched bamieh fritters to foie gras and Moroccan spiced lamb, while hookah bars offer everything from wine and cocktails to package deals–including private booth or lounge, hookah, drinks, and appetizers–which run about $125 for four. Rental prices for hookahs in lounges generally run from $5 to $20 an hour, with tobacco prices from $4 to $9 per bowl. Whatever’s on offer, people feel comfortable enough to linger, gathered round the hookah pipe. You can find directories of hookah lounges in the U.S., Canada, and Europe at www.hookahforum.com or www.hookahculture.com, and other sites online.

Someone on staff–often the proprietor–is always happy to help those new to the experience of hookah smoking and guide them through it. Pipes are generally prepared for the patrons with whatever exotic flavor of tobacco they choose. There’s usually a hookah coal carrier, circulating through the lounge with coals and tongs to replenish any waning hookah coals.

Music ranges from jazz to hip hop to tablah-backed Middle Eastern pop music, d?©cor from re-interpretations of a Cairo caf?© to tiki hut to sophisticated bar. Whether the people come to play games, drink cardamom-infused coffee, sip cocktails, or just kick back and relax, hookah lounges and bars offer a unique multicultural take on an age-old tradition.

What Exactly is a Hookah?

The hookah has a long and storied history. Also known variously as a hubble-bubble, narghile, shisha, or water pipe, among other names, hookahs have been used for a mellow tobacco smoking experience in Asia and the Middle East for centuries. Coming to the Middle East from India, the hookah started out as a humble coconut shell. In Turkey, it evolved into the true hookah, becoming a mainstay of coffee house life during the 17th century. Hookah smoking is still very common in cafes and restaurants throughout the Middle East.

Many rituals, of preparation, lighting, and smoking etiquette, surround the use of the hookah. People gathered in the coffee houses to smoke together, exchanging news and stories–or simply sharing quiet, meditative time. Recalling a more relaxed and unhurried past, hookahs conjure tales of journeys along the Nile, long nights in exotically scented gardens, the spice of the bazaar, and the sinuous music of the belly dance.

Hookahs were smoked by women gathered for tea, by students engaging in intellectual discussion, men playing games of chance, and simple gatherings of friends for enjoyment and relaxation. Offering a guest a puff at the house hookah, or narghile, was a sign of welcome and hospitality. Rather than a habit of nervousness, as many might classify the cigarette, the hookah is an entry to tranquility and reflection. It is a connection to the past and an oasis of civilized fellowship in the frenetic present.

With such a long history, it’s not surprising that the craftsmanship in a hookah approaches the level of art; most hookahs are exquisitely detailed and beautiful. At one time, each part of the hookah was produced by a craftsman specifically trained to produce just that piece. Materials used included silver, crystal, and amber. When you add in the centuries of tradition and ritual in which the hookah is steeped, it’s easy to see that this ancient water pipe represents the nexus of a singular and luxuriant experience in smoke and social interaction–and why it’s becoming so popular in the West.

Hookahs are for College Students

For centuries, Eastern cultures have embraced this simple, yet curious device known as the hookah. Though the designs and materials have changed through the years, the hookah’s social function is still intact. Too few things exist that are able to bring people – sometimes complete strangers – together in such an intimate fashion. Struggling for a place in the United States and European countries, the hookah has found its place in college and university towns.

Hookahs have seemingly always had a place in Eastern cultures. The hookah has, however, only recently begun to grab footing in the United States and European countries. Less than 10 years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a hookah bar or cafe outside of the cultural areas of larger cities. These days, if you survey the land around large university campuses, you will find a strange, new type of business cropping up. Though some offer exotic coffees and others offer alcoholic beverages, hookah cafes and bars are giving today’s college students a much-needed place to unwind after a day full of studies. Drawn by curiosity, students find themselves in a world of sheer imagination that is truly unique among the countless hangouts that abound around colleges and universities.

Hookahs were created to solve a problem among tobacco smokers. When heated, tobacco creates a smoke that, without cooling, is harsh and nearly unbearable. The hookah introduced a simple, yet novel way to cool the hot, harsh smoke. When a smoker inhales, the smoke first travels through water and is cooled before it ever reaches the smoker’s mouth. This smooth experience is quite different from smoking cigarettes or cigars and is almost always commented upon by first-time hookah smokers.

In addition to being a cooler smoke, the tobaccos used in hookahs are generally flavored. These flavors range from fruits like apples and oranges, to modern-day flavors like bubble gum and cola. It’s this flavored smoke that has really made hookahs the preferred smoke among college students.

Look around a hookah bar or cafe and you will see tightly-huddled masses sitting around a dozen or so hookahs, talking about everything from this week’s exams to next year’s newest cars. This simple device has an extraordinary power to bring together people of all backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. It knows no boundaries and performs its social function with relative ease.

Business owners recognize the power of college towns. They provide businesses with a constant flow of fresh customers from semester to semester. New students arrive and seasoned students bring the new students to the cafes and bars. It’s a process that repeats itself over and over again.

So, if you’re looking for a new, fresh place to meet new friends, go on a hunt for your local hookah establishment. You’ll be glad you did!

How To Buy Hookahs Wholesale

Given the growing popularity of hookah smoking and hookah lounges, wholesale hookahs represent a tremendous value — if you can get your hands on one (or more). . For someone who is considering starting a retail hookah shop or smoking lounge, or who wants to add variety to an existing restaurant, tobacco shop, or bar, researching the options is among the first necessary steps.

Buying wholesale hookahs doesn’t mean buying cheaply made or unattractive product. Hand-blown glass in shimmering colors, elegantly traced in 21 karat gold, crystal, highly glazed ceramics, cloisonn?©-decorated brass, stainless steel worked into graceful curves, and carved wooden pieces all go into the making of a hookah. Since part of the joy of hookah smoking is the beauty and aesthetic pleasure of the hookah itself, wholesale hookahs come in a variety of lovely designs only surpassed by expensive custom models. In addition, styles range from traditional Egyptian and Syrian to modern and neo-exotic interpretations of the classic hookah, rotating hookahs, and more.

Things to look for in wholesale hookahs are quality of craftsmanship and durability of materials used. Stainless steel, Pyrex glass, and stone or ceramic are the best materials, the ones which can take repeated use while continuing to provide a pleasurable, smoking experience. Some metals, like copper, should be avoided (smoking from copper is actually poisonous). Wholesale hookahs are available in wood and brass and other materials, but these materials will not stand up terribly well to the test of time and use.

The base, or vase, of the hookah, is generally where the most artistic effort is expended, as it sets the tone for the whole piece. Hoses should be durable and include replaceable, disposable mouthpieces for individual smokers; hoses come in a variety of styles, from the basic to those covered in soft velvety fabric in lush colors, with carved and dyed wooden ends. The stem between the body and the tobacco bowl can vary widely in height, and is most often a gracefully wrought stainless steel in today’s hookahs. The tobacco bowl will be stone, glazed or unglazed clay, metal, or beautifully colored and shaped Pyrex, and can range in design from simple to ornamental.

Wholesalers will generally require a minimum purchase of $250 to $400, though some will have a higher first-time minimum. Wholesale hookah prices range from $30 to $60 per pipe. A number of accessories must be considered when looking at wholesale hookahs, among them the metal tongs, or pincers, for the hookah charcoal, screens for holding the coal, the hookah charcoal itself, disposable mouthpieces, cleaning brushes, rubber stoppers, and replacement bases, hoses, grommets, and other parts.