Portrait of the oldest French cigar roller

Gérard Gorlier, better known under the name “Don G”, is the longest-serving French cigar roller. He lives in Saint-Martin and runs a shop much visited by connoisseurs. A closer look at a legendary figure.

Nearly 90 years old and still at the same trade

Don G will turn 90 in a few months. He is almost part of the furniture in his shop, where the smells of wood and tobacco mingle. This tobacco roller has kept his accent from the Cévennes and even pronounces the “c” at the end of the French word tabac. He is quite simply the longest-serving tobacco roller in France and the only one in Saint-Martin. And he is still working.

A calling that took shape over the years

Gérard used to help his father grow olives and vines at Mus, in the Gard. In the beginning, nothing pointed him towards the world of tobacco. He then joined the electricity utility EDF, where he held a post for 15 years. But in 1977 Gérard suddenly felt the urge to leave France and join his brother in Saint-Martin, where the latter was teaching art at a secondary school.

There he opened a bakery, then divorced and took the opportunity to travel around the Caribbean with friends. He ended up in Cuba, and it was a turning point. During that stay he became friends with tabaqueros who taught him the basics of the trade. After a few trips back and forth between Cuba and Santo Domingo, Gérard knew what he wanted to do: roll cigars.

He then took a recognised course in Santiago de Cuba and learned everything about the cigar. It was there that he also met his second wife. He acquired a cigar factory and returned to Saint-Martin with all the equipment needed to start up on the island. To this day he still uses the same tools, dating from 1900.

Don G makes and sells his own cigars

Over the years, Don G refined his craft to the point where his cigars found favour with aficionados. In the 2000s he was selling up to 300 cigars a day to locals and tourists. He still rolls around a hundred a day, even though retirement age has long since come and gone.