Monday, January 21, 2013

What is a Hookah Bar?

By John McCree


Hookahs were first introduced in the U.S. in the 70's, however, it wasn't until lately that they started to grow in popularity. To explain it simply a hookah bar is just like cocktail bar, but in a hookah bar you'll find hookah rather than cocktails. One can easily find hookah bars near universities and colleges and in very populated cities.

Brief History

Hookahs and hookah bars originated in India more than 500 years ago in a considerably more simple form near the Pakistan border. Hookah bars are largely associated with the middle east as it was the origin of hookah and the area from where hookah gained a lot of popularity. These establishments became places where customers would socialize, drink coffee, and discuss politics and local events with a relaxing hookah session.

What Does A Hookah Bar Look Like?

Bars that are built to mimic the region of origin of hookah have generally Arab people running them. The furnishings are according to the Middle Eastern culture of Indian culture. Some bars only serve hookah. But some multifunctional bars serve snacks, coffee and sodas too. A small bar generally does not have a liquor license and thus they don't serve alcohol. But the large bars which are positioned in very populated areas offer wine, beer along with other cocktails. It's not unusual to see belly dancers, live bands, or DJs in the more high end urban hookah bars as they resemble a "night club" more closely than a neighborhood social establishment.

Hookah bars that are near institutions tend to be more casual and draw in many students. The trend has become popular as a less hazardous replacement for other sorts of smoking. Hookah bars do well near colleges as college life is a time to experience new things and enjoy the freedom of life. There has been a surge in the number and popularity of hookah bars in cities, which are famous for their secondary education institutions in the U.S.

Let's Talk About a Hookah

Now that you know what a hookah bar is, you may be asking yourself about the device that has managed to spread across the globe and spark a smoking revolution. Legend has it the hookah was first invented in 1588 by a Persian physician in the Indian court. The Indians referred to the device as a "huqqa", a name which has stayed with it throughout history, although it is referred to as many other names for example "nargile," "shisha," and "hubble-bubble" to name a few.

When the hookah was first designed, it was made using coconut shells and must have looked quite simple as compared to the complex and superior designs of today. Following are the key components of a hookah:

1. Bowl - to keep the tobacco.

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

3. Water Basin - here the smoke passes through the water. After purifying the smoke stays in a chamber over the water.

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

The above mechanism provides the smoker calming and aromatic smoke.

A senior patron of a popular hookah business in turkey said:

"What you put in the hookah is not important, but who is along with you while you are smoking. It's a whole experience. You can find, good, old, interesting and all sorts of people in a bar like this. As long as there is a need for company and friendship, as long as people want to stop and think, there will be hookah bars."




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