Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Hookah and Hookah Bars

By Hookah John


Originally popularized the in the U.S. in the 1960's and 70's, hookah smoking is becoming ever more popular since the turn of the century. To explain it simply a hookah bar is the same as cocktail bar, but in a hookah bar you'll find hookah in place of cocktails. Hookah bars are usually found in urban settings and usually near college campuses and universities too.

The History of Hookah and Hookah Bars

Hookahs and hookah bars originated in India more than 500 years ago in a considerably more simple form close to the Pakistan border. Hookah bars are mostly associated with the middle east as it was the origin of hookah and the area from where hookah gained a lot of popularity. Hookah bars in the middle east became the place for the elite to socialize and smoke hookah.

Features of Hookah Bars

In the more ethnic areas, the lounges usually resemble their roots more carefully, often run by people of Arab ancestry, furnished and decorated with a Middle Eastern or Indian design. At some bars, nothing is served besides hookah. Many, however, serve coffee, sodas, and snacks at least. Typical neighborhood lounges usually do not have liquor licenses and so do not derive profit from alcohol. The larger bars, however, have a liquor license and they serve a number of cocktails in addition to wine and beer. It isn't unusual to see belly dancers, live bands, or DJs in the more trendy urban hookah bars since they resemble a "night club" more closely than a neighborhood social establishment.

Some hookah bars are intentionally built near university and college campuses to attract the students. Hookah is gaining a lot of popularity as a safer method to enjoy smoking. Hookah bars do well around colleges as college life is a time to try out new things and enjoy the freedom of life. The cities which are famous for having many secondary education institutions in the U.S. have noticed a great boost in the popularity of hookah bars.

The Mysterious Hookah

Now that you know what a hookah bar is, you may be asking yourself about the device that has been able to spread throughout the world and spark a smoking revolution. Hookah was invented by a Persian physician in the late 1500's. The Indians referred to the device as a "huqqa", a name which has remained with it through history, although it is referred to as a number of other names for example "nargile," "shisha," and "hubble-bubble" to name a few.

Whilst the primitive hookah was significantly different, probably made out of coconut shells, the end result has always been the same: purify and cool the smoke by moving it through water before breathing in. Here are the key components of a hookah:

1. Bowl - the tobacco is placed here.

2. Body - smoke produced from the burning tobacco is passed through the body to reach the water basin.

3. Water Basin - here the smoke passes through the water. Purified smoke stays in the chamber above the water until it is inhaled through the hose.

4. Hose - the smoker inhales the smoke from the chamber above the water using a hose. A hose is generally longer than one meter.

The end result is a soothing and aromatic smoke.

Words of a patron in a hookah bar:

"What you put in the hookah is not important, but who is with you when you are smoking. It's a complete experience. You can find, good, old, interesting and all sorts of people in a bar like this. Hookahs bars will remain in the world as long as people want to take out time to enjoy the company of their buddies."




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment