The last column I wrote on this subject was about how to cut and light your cigar, and, when done properly, those things can definitely enhance your enjoyment. This time, I’d like to address something that will direct affect the cigar smoking experience, and that is what to drink while savoring your favorite stick.
I’ve done presentations about this before, particularly to a college class from a culinary arts curriculum about pairing cigars and beverages for those places that can still accommodate smokers. Since then, I’ve refined my theory. So what you’ll get here is the whole concept behind pairings, plus some specific suggestions.
The foundation of my concept is to match the body of the cigar to the body of the libation. As an example, a French Roast or espresso would be a full-bodied drink, so to be able to stand up to the coffee, the cigar should be full-bodied as well. Green tea is light in body, so a milder cigar would work best. But once the bodies are matched up, approaching the flavor profile is necessary, but works in the opposite manner.
Take a full-bodied and robust cigar like the Camacho Corojo. It has an earthiness and a leathery note, but it is dominated by a spiciness along the line of white pepper. To match the body, you could go with a full-bodied coffee, a rich Bourbon, a dense red wine or maybe an intense cognac. Since the cigar is spicy, we’ll want to go in the opposite direction. Dark roast coffees will generally work as they aren’t spicy and have an acidic tang that will contrast the spice of the Camacho. If you choose a Bourbon, you’d want to go for one that has a sweetness. A rich, dry red wine, or, even better, a ruby port will have the roundness to offset the sharpness of the cigar, and most cognacs with a good backbone will work as well.
Why the contrast? Because a sweet and dense drink will allow your tastebuds to pick up the earth and spice, and the pepper of the cigar will let you get the sweetness and complexity of the drink.
Think of it this way- take the same cigar and pair it with a vanilla milkshake. The drink’s sweetness and creaminess will contrast the spice, but the intensity of flavor of the Camacho will completely overwhelm the shake, as the flavor is too mild to stand up. In a similar vein, a mild and mellow cigar like an Avo Classic would be dominated by something like a Woodford’s Reserve Bourbon. A naturally sweet cigar would lose some of its appeal if paired with a sweet drink, as the sugar in the drink would dull your ability to taste the sweetness in the cigar.
Here’s a list of drinks with their body and most noticeable characteristics:
Mild bodied
- Sodas- primarily sweet, some (like Dr. Pepper) can approach medium
- Dry white wine- fruity notes, acidic tartness
- Blush wines (can be medium)- fruity, light sweetness
- Gin- herbal character
- Light rum- sweetness
- Teas- can be sweet, herbal, tannic, acidic or fruity
- Coffees- go with toasty, low acid for lighter cigars
Medium bodied
- Juices- sweet, often tart and acidic Sweet white wines- Rieslings are a good example
- Light red wines- usually dry with tannins
- Dark rum- sweet with caramel and/or molasses notes
- Tequila- almost herbal
- Scotch- smoky and peaty- all but the strongest would be considered medium-bodied
- Whiskey- some sweetness and charcoal notes
- Brandy/Cognac- usually sweet and fruity with candy-like hints
Full bodied
- Dry red wines- dense, rich dry reds will usually exhibit tannins and acids often with dark chocolate and dried fruit notes
- Dessert wines- includes ruby and tawny port and sherries. Commonly showing an intense sweetness, acidity and fruity character
- Scotch- the smokiest and peatiest will fall into the full-bodied range
- Bourbon- most Bourbons will fall into this category and show sweetness and a hint of char, many with vanilla and caramel hints
- Cognac- the richest would be considered full-bodied
- Coffees- espresso and French roast coffees with acidity and some charry and bitter notes will usually stand up to bolder cigars
So, with a chart like you see above, all you need to do is find the drinks in the correct body category and identify flavor characteristics that are dissimilar to the cigar. As an example, if you’re going to smoke a dry, earthy medium-bodied cigar, look for a medium-bodied drink with either sweet or spicy hints, like citrus juices, Riesling or Ice wines, dark rum, whiskeys and brandies.
Tobacco Flavor Characteristics by Country of Origin
It may also help to know some of the general flavor characteristics of the tobacco from certain countries. The Dominican Republic grows very flavorful tobacco with low spice and nicotine and a leathery note., while Mexican tobacco has an earthiness and sometimes with a hint of chocolate and sweet wood.
Honduras has long been known for a rich, earthy profile, often with a pepperiness, while Nicaragua is most famous for spicy, intense flavors and a rich aroma. Costa Rica and Brazilian tobacco seem to exhibit toasty and earthy tastes with coffee and cocoa hints. Ecuador has a flavor profile similar to that of Nicaragua but not as strong.
Neutral Tobacco Pairings and Final Thoughts
There’s another approach to pairings, as well, and that is to use relatively neutral flavors to allow the tobacco to assert itself. Water is part of this category, as is unflavored seltzer or club soda, and vodka (preferably chilled ice-cold) can be an effective pairing with almost any cigar.
I like to take a sip or two of my drink before cutting, toasting and lighting my cigar as I feel it prepares my palate for the onslaught of flavor. I also like having my tastebuds keen at the beginning of the smoke because some of the most intriguing tastes are in the first inch or so. Most of all, have fun experimenting with combinations. I found, quite by accident, that a fairly spicy medium-bodied cigar I was given went amazingly well with a mojito, in my opinion. If you haven’t started a cigar diary, this would be a great way to get into it. I’ll cover cigar diaries or dossiers in a future article.
As I had expected, this does deal primarily with alcoholic beverages. As a recovering alcoholic and recovering cigar nut, I can state without hesitation that most of these pairings are pretty good, but in a pinch just drink any good malt whisky or aged rum with a cigar and you’re golden. Craft beers are always a great choice, especially for milder cigars.
That said, I smoke my pipes far more often than cigars these days, and drink alcohol with them not at all. I also rarely drink sodapop and find myself primarily sticking with coffee and tea if I’m trying to pair them well. In my exploration of the world of tea, I found one all-important tea that EVERY smoker should at least be familiar with: lapsang souchong.
Lapsang souchong is also sometimes called “the latakia of teas,” and originates in China. During processing, the tea leaves are enhanced with pine smoke, yielding a medium bodied black tea with a nice smoky aroma and flavor in the cup. It is robust enough to stand up to milk and honey or sugar, but should have a light natural sweetness on it’s own and will not really benefit from any condiments, assuming it is of good quality. It compliments well a mild latakia blend, but I find pairing the smoky beverage with the smokey tobaacco obscures some of the nuance of each, and find it better suits a Virginia or Burley blend. My preference for enjoying it with a natural blend without latakia has me highly suspicious that it would pair quite well with a mild or even medium bodied cigar. You should definitely give it a try sometime!
If it’s all you can get, Twinings isn’t bad, but if you can find it offered by a company which specializes in finer quality teas, you’ve got a better chance of getting something really superb.
Colin – Thanks much for your input! Since I gave up on the coffee I’ve been a water or beer guy myself, but your description sort of makes me want to try some teas. Your logic makes perfect sense and sounds delicious. Great to have someone with a some great experience & knowledge chime in!
I’m with Travis on this one, Colin… I’m a dedicated coffee drinker myself, but since I enjoy burley blends when I smoke a pipe, I’m looking forward to trying “the latakia of teas” (Lapsang souchong).
In fact, I’m such a dedicated coffee drinker, that instead of “complimenting my tobacco with a beverage”, I instead choose tobaccos that compliment my coffees. 😉 Thanks for sharing the info on teas with us, Colin… I’m sure there are a lot of pipe smokers out there that are now looking to try your tea recommendations!
~Ginger
Thanks for helping me to see things in a dffierent light.
Now we know who the senbsile one is here. Great post!