Zig Zag

About

Zig Zag: The Brand That Revolutionized the Way We Smoke Zig Zag has been manufacturing the world's most iconic rolling papers for over 140 years. In addition to producing rolling papers, the brand now also sells cigarette papers, cigar wraps, cigars, and cigarillos. Zig Zag cigars are machine-made tobacco products that contain Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobaccos and are wrapped in natural wrappers. As a cigar smoker, you might know or have even tried Zig Zag cigars, but do you know the long history behind the brand? In 1879, two French brothers, Jacques and Maurice Braunstein, decided to establish a cigarette paper company. They built the Papeterie de Gassicourt, a manufacturing facility not far from Paris, France. The brothers would buy large rolls of paper and turn them into reusable rolling papers. When it was time to decide on the artwork, Jacques and Maurice placed a Zouave, a soldier of the French Army from the 18th and 19th centuries, on the packaging. The brothers managed to have a real breakthrough — they invented a brand-new technology in which the next rolling paper would automatically come out of the package after the previous one was pulled from it. It was a real sensation in various industries and played a huge role in the brand's success. Jacques and Maurice eventually received a gold medal from the Universal Expositional in Paris for this innovation, and the brothers officially registered and trademarked the company name, “Zig Zag.” The brand continued to grow, and in 1919, the Braunsteins moved their main paper manufacturing facility from Saint Aubin to Thonon-les-Bains, another French town. Thonon-les-Bains wasn't just a random choice: it's located right next to the Alps, which means Zig Zag always had access to a natural source of clear water. This allowed them to improve the quality of their products — and to this day, the freshwater coming down from the Alps is still key in upholding the top standards of Zig & Zag products. In the 6