American Spirit in Switzerland: tobacco, cigarettes, colours and strength

American Spirit is one of the best-known tobacco brands advertising tobacco without additives. In Switzerland most people know it mainly as rolling tobacco in the blue or yellow pack, and there are also cigarettes in several colours. Here you will find what is behind the brand, what the colours mean, which varieties are available in Switzerland and how they differ in strength.

Origins of the American Spirit brand

The brand's full name is Natural American Spirit. It originally comes from the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, founded in 1982 in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico. In 2002 R.J. Reynolds took over the company. Outside the USA, the brand has belonged since 2016 to Japan Tobacco International (JTI), the group that also sells Camel.

Every pack has a colour system that lets you recognise the variety and strength at a glance.

What makes American Spirit tobacco special?

According to the manufacturer, American Spirit uses tobacco without additives. Many other brands add flavourings, humectants or sugar. At American Spirit the tobacco consists only of tobacco leaves and water. That makes it taste more natural and a little drier than many industrial blends.

Important: no additives does not mean less harmful. Smoke from additive-free tobacco contains just as much nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. In the USA, the manufacturer was therefore required to state this explicitly.

American Spirit colours: what blue, yellow and orange mean

With the cigarettes, the colour indicates the strength. All varieties use the same tobacco and differ in filter, amount of tobacco and paper.

Strength of American Spirit cigarettes

These are the values stated by the manufacturer for the cigarettes. They may vary depending on the country of production and batch.

Source: manufacturer information, as cited by Wikipedia. Terms such as light or mild say nothing about a lower risk.

American Spirit rolling tobacco

In Switzerland, the rolling tobacco is the best-known part of the range. The fine cut comes as Blue (Original Blue) and Yellow, each in a 25 g pouch, plus Blue in a 70 g tin.

Which American Spirit varieties have been discontinued?

The range has shrunk in recent years. In Germany, the green cigarettes (2022), the black Perique cigarettes and the organic variants Organic and Organic Burley disappeared, among others. The Perique rolling tobacco is no longer on sale either. The best way to see which varieties are currently available is to check directly at your point of sale.

Where can I buy American Spirit in Switzerland?

In Switzerland you can find American Spirit at kiosks, tobacconists, Coop and online shops with age verification. Blue and Yellow rolling tobacco are the most widely available, while Orange and the tin are more likely to be found at specialist shops. Prices vary depending on the point of sale.

Pueblo is another well-known name for tobacco without additives. You will find its varieties, strength and storage tips in our guide to Pueblo tobacco. For an overview of a classic American blend brand, take a look at our guide to Chesterfield cigarettes. More rolling tobacco brands are compared in our guide to Fred, Wellauer and Black Hawk.

Swiss alternative: Heimat tobacco without additives

Do you roll American Spirit because natural tobacco without flavourings matters to you? Then Heimat is worth a look. Our tobacco grows in Switzerland in the Lake Constance region, is processed in our own manufactory and also contains no artificial additives. The difference: our tobacco doesn't come from the USA, but from the field next door.

More brands at a glance: Camel cigarettes, Marlboro Gold and Red, Parisienne cigarettes, Dunhill cigarettes and Winston.

Natural American Spirit is a registered trademark of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company. Heimat has no business relationship with the owners of the American Spirit brand. The information on this page is for information purposes only and makes no claim to completeness.