So there is much discussion regarding pairing drinks with cigars. Here’s my view on the subject. Please note these are my personal views and I welcome other views and opinions in the comment section.
Water – A must if nothing else. Helps cleanse the palate and keeps the mouth from getting too dry. My go-to beverage when I try a cigar for the first time.
Scotch - Now we’re talking! Another great pairing with all cigars, the flavors match perfect with cigars. My “everyday” favorite are: Isle of Jura 10 year and Glenfarclas 15 year.
Aged Rum – you haven’t truly enjoyed a cigar until you’ve smoked one accompanied by some Zaya (drink it neat).
Other Booze - Sweet liqours like Bailey’s and Kahlua work well. Dark liquors like whiskey, borboun and cognac pair together as well. Light liquors and fruity liquors usually strike the palate wrong when accompanying a cigar.
- Atlanta Mike’s Drink – 2 shots of vodka and 1 shot each of Kahlua, Frangelico and Amaretto on ice.
Port- Tawnies yes. Rubies no. A good tawny has that oakiness and leathery rich body that pairs great with a stronger bodied cigar. My fave is Osborne’s Tawny (cheap too!).
Coffee – Another great pairing. Any coffee goes good with a cigar, just be mindful to match the body of your coffee with that of your cigar. My fave has to be Larry’s Beans (try the Mountain Sumatra).
Beer- Some folks like beer with cigars. I haven’t found one that goes well with any cigar. Some like dark beer like porters and stouts as the richness and chocolatey-ness compliment the cigar flavor profile. But that’s not the problem I have with beer and cigars, it’s the hops. Hops have a bitterness/sourness to them that imparts those tastes onto the cigar. So a good cigar may taste sour when paired with beer.
Wine – My personal opinion is that wine does not pair with cigars. Period. Cigar Aficionado uses wine tasting cues to help describe flavors they get in cigars, but that is where the compatibility ends. Fruit and tobacco wreck the palate when combined for me.
Soda - This is a weird one. Regular cola soft drinks can be too sugary and distract from the flavors of the cigar. But for some strange reason, diet cola sodas work for me. Must be the aspartame. That said, folks have different reactions to aspartame, so this is just a recommendation based on my taste buds. Oh and of course fruity sodas like Mountain Dew and Sunkist don’t work.
Apple Juice - this is a great palate cleanser. Seriously! Great for multiple smoke events.
Whaddya mean wine does not pair with cigars?! Humbug! I very much enjoy a merlot or shiraz with my cigars. I prefer a nice whisky, but I’m trying to avoid killing my liver before I die, so I have to watch my consumption
I’ve only just discovered your site through a post in the newsgroup alt.smokers.cigars and I’m grateful to Alex for pointing it out. I shall definitely be back, lots of lovely stuff.
Keep up the great work.
A lot of people enjoy wine with cigars. I just don’t think they pair right. But that’s me.
Thanks for your interest, please visit again!
What a great site! I just recently started smoking recently, only a bout a year or so… But it is a great hobby, and very relaxing! I have to say I do agree with you about beer imparting a bitter taste, and also with the fact that sodas are too sweet. But just wanted to note something I’ve discovered as well. I’ve found that the fizz seems to deaden my palate after some time. I’ve also found that chocolate is an excellent palate cleanser, giving you a whole new depth perception of flavor. I like to pair my cigars with coffee, rum and whisky, in that order.
Thank you for such a wealth of info! I’ll be a steady site viewer. You even inspired me to start documenting my own cigars adventures in a notebook.
Thanks for all of the kind words Ozzy! I appreciate it! Look forward to hearing more!
Thank you so much! I have been looking for a list such as this for awhile. This gives me something to work with.
So far I mostly drink coffee with my early morning cigar before I go to work. I would recommend drinking only from paper cups and not any type of foam,styro,etc etc, as those materials have a weird taste and will more likely be the cause of death than a good cigar.
I did drink a Stella Artois with a Gurkha Micro-Batch TPB 1 and I really enjoyed that pairing. I am not the only one. One of my friends on another site pairs Stella Artois as well so perhaps we are onto something. The Belgium brews do seem to be the best while smoking.
I love Kahlua and will definitely get a bottle for the holidays. I was introduced to the fine art of cigar smoking last April and I am loving it!
Thanks, Rasheedah!
I was looking at the comments and Ozzy mentions chocolate. There is a web site for a company that specializes in pairing the right chocolate with the right cigar!The prices are very high but good chocolate is like good cigars, there is more to it than a Hershey bar and quality is often worth the price.
I actually experimented one morning and added a Dove dark chocolate bar to my morning cigar smoke ritual. Quite a delightful trio. One must really be into chocolate like I am to appreciate this. ~Love and Gratitude~
I would suggest unsweet tea. I usually smoke a cigar during my lunch break and I find that unsweet iced tea is a good nonalcoholic pairing with a short smoke.
How about Tea? I recently warmed up some Arizona Green Tea with aPadron 2000 and truly enjoyed the experience. I think the honey used to sweeten the tea complimented the cigar perfectly.