When you pair cigars with beer, wine, or liquor, you can enhance tobacco’s existing flavors while also discovering hidden characteristics. The wrong pairs can ruin your appreciation of the drink and your cigar, but the right pairings can bring out more from both than you ever imagined. Knowing five smart ways to pair them together paves the way to your enjoyment.
Complementary Pairings
You can try two general categories of pairings, and complementary pairings are the first. In these, alcoholic drinks and cigars share aromatic notes or flavors in common. For instance, a full-bodied cigar might work well with a heavy beverage like wine or whisky. Alternatively, sharper, lighter cigars might work well with light cocktails or refreshing beers. Complementary pairings are more common than contradictory ones, so start with a few before moving on.
Contradictory Pairings
The contradictory method pairs drinks and cigars in contrasting fashions, and the hope is that each brings out the nuances of the counterpart. For instance, a mellow cigar with lighter flavor might enhance the deep notes you get from an earthy wine or barrel-aged bourbon. Also, full-bodied cigars might have rich flavors that pair well with white wine or light beer. While cigar and drink might star equally in an enjoyable oral experience, contradictory pairings often wind up with one triumphant over the other.
Cigars and Liquor
Cigars and liquor are two crafts where creativity and aging matter. Cigar makers and distillers improve their work by constantly improving their sense of taste and palate. Eventually, a cigar master can smoke or smell a tobacco leaf and know its kind and where it’s from. Master distillers can taste a sample before identifying the proof, flavors, and aroma. These areas of expertise overlap in your recreation when you pair the two together.
Cigars and Wine
Cigars and liquor might have a stronger tradition of being paired together than cigars and wine, but this pairing still works if wine is your beverage of choice. Winemaking involves flavorful notes, body, terror, aging, and craft. If you have a preferred brand of cigar, try it with several different bottles of wine to start mapping out your preferences. You can also do the reverse with a favorite bottle of wine and several kinds of cigars.
Cigars and Beer
Beer can be refreshing, so it’s a great drink when you’re trying to enjoy a summer evening or any hot weather. Try to pair light beer with mild cigars; a gentle cigar aroma can work well with light ales or pilsners. If you prefer a darker beer with a higher malt content, try it with a stronger cigar with a spicy aroma.
Experimentation Is Key
High-caliber alcoholic beverages can improve how much you enjoy your cigars by a tremendous degree. Once you try it, you might never return to having a cigar without a good drink in your other hand. Experiment with a variety of different cigars and drinks in your home bar, but make sure you always keep your cigars stored in a reputable humidor.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
