WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
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Before picking your drink, you need to know what you're smoking. A medium to full-bodied cigar with dark spice and cedar calls for something completely different than a mellow, creamy smoke. Your drink choice should follow your cigar, not the other way around.
When it comes to pairing cigars and drinks, there are two ways you can approach the topic. One route is through contradictory pairings, which are said to bring out the nuance of flavors in both the drink and the smoke. Or you can do a complementary pairing, where the drink and cigar work together to produce an elevated flavor profile that the two elements share in common.
Let's work our way through the spectrum of cigars starting with more full-bodied, dark blends that feature earthy notes mixed with spice and cocoa.
When talking about full-bodied cigars, consider the Oliva Serie O Maduro Double Toro, La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro No.52, and Rocky Patel Sungrown Maduro Sixty as the pinnacle of flavor complexity, delivering a rich, evolving profile that rewards you from first light to the final third.
This cigar has a sophisticated aroma of dark pepper and earth. It's bold and dynamic in a way that most cigars aren't, culminating in a rich blend that should be accompanied by the following:
Contradictory Pairing: Aperol Spritz, Margarita, Dry White Wine
Complementary Pairing: Bourbon, Aged Rum, Espresso (if you're feeling frisky, break off a piece of dark chocolate as a complementary dessert)
La Gloria Cubana is famous for producing thick and bold cigars that refuse to compromise on quality. The Maduro No.52 in particular is known for its notes of rich espresso, leather, and spice that crescendo in a dark and heavy blended cigar. Drink pairings are as follows:
Contradictory Pairing: Botanical Gin, Lemon Tea, Tart Sour
Complementary Pairing: Dark Stout, Port Wine, Dark Roasted Coffee
The Maduro Sixty from Rocky Patel is a powerhouse when it comes to layering flavor. It layers dark chocolate, molasses, and charred oak into a complex and evolving smoke. Recommended pairings include:
Contradictory Pairing: Citrus Cocktail, Chardonnay, Cream Soda
Complementary Pairing: Chocolate Liqueur, Cardamom Coffee, Bourbon, Scotch
These are just preliminary recommendations for a full-bodied smoke. You may find that for these heavier blends it's wise to go with a dark and rich drink for a complementary pairing, with coffee acting as a palate cleanser between draws. The Stout, Bourbon, and Port Wine enhance the deep earth tones of the cigars, amplifying the dark sweetness of the smoke without overpowering the whole experience.
The contradictory pairings add touches of citrus and acid to otherwise heavy smokes. When you have a contradictory pairing you'll get hidden nuances that you wouldn't experience with a complementary pairing. For instance, the Rocky Patel Sungrown Maduro Sixty paired with cream soda creates a rich contrast of sweet against peppery spice. There are notes of vanilla and espresso that meld into a creamy finish your palate will not be expecting.
Do keep in mind that the time of day factors into your experience with a cigar. If you're opting for a morning smoke, a bourbon on the rocks might not be the move. Coffee is always a great alternative, or a nice soda can also help enhance the flavor. Just think about it in terms of balance and pick up a soda that either complements the cigar's flavor profile or cuts right against it. With that in mind, let's move down the spectrum to where most casual smokers tend to live.
Medium-bodied cigars are probably the most common smokes on the market, and for good reason. They're versatile enough to enjoy at any point in the day and span a wide range from punchy and robust on one end to smooth and creamy on the other. Where a cigar falls on that spectrum matters, because it changes everything about how you should be pairing your drink.
On the dark and heavier side, the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Valentino is a great example of one end of the spectrum where dark chocolate and espresso flavors are still running rampant, but it isn't quite a full-bodied experience. Let's dive into our first medium-bodied smoke drink pairings.
The Mi Amor Valentino is a dark and brooding medium-bodied smoke that commands your attention with some light coconut undertones and a dark chocolate orchestration of flavor. Best enjoyed with:
Contradictory Pairing: Moscato, Riesling, Iced Peppermint Mocha, Apple Cider
Complementary Pairing: Tequila, Rum
This is a true medium-bodied cigar as it falls right in the middle of intense and mellow. The Devil Crab has a beautiful nutty flavor profile that features hints of caramel as the cigar begins to reveal itself. Its intricate design goes beyond flavor, as each package contains an authentic deviled crab recipe card. So if you're not going to do a drink pairing with this one, at least have a bite of deviled crab to accompany this beautiful cigar. But if you are, match it with:
Contradictory Pairing: Jarritos Grapefruit Soda, Rosé, Gin and Tonic
Complementary Pairing: Whiskey Sour, Horchata, Amaretto, Butterscotch Beer
This is the definition of a medium to mild smoke. It has an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder which deliver an almond, cedar, and spice flavor profile. It's a chill cigar that is super easy to smoke. Creamy and nutty in the best way possible, with an earthy aftertone that can be shared with the following:
Contradictory Pairing: Champagne, Pale Ale, Chardonnay
Complementary Pairing: Espresso with Cream, Cognac, Aged Rum
When it comes to medium-bodied cigars, it's important to note that this covers a wide range, and you'll have to really tune in to the one you want to smoke. The golden rule here is to match the intensity of whatever you're smoking. If you're having a super mellow smoke, you probably won't want a heavy whiskey drink. A nice summery wine or soda would be the move as it'll complement those softer undertones and bring out the nutty notes found in a lot of medium-bodied smokes.
For the darker smokes, lean toward the full-bodied drink recommendations, favoring on the hard liquor side like a peaty whisky or a velvety bourbon.
Now if you're completely new to the world of cigars, a mellow and mild cigar is probably what you're after. Or if you just want to chill without an overlay of competing flavors, a mild cigar is the one for you.
Mild-bodied cigars tend to be creamier and smoother across the board. When it comes to pairings, you'll want to stay on the sweet and creamy side for complementary pairings and reach for something sharp and citrusy when you want a contradictory contrast.
This sits on the border of mild to medium, but it's a perfect blend of cashew, creamy butter, and pepper. These flavors mix together in a balanced blend of velvety and rich flavors that shine through at every stage of the cigar. Pull up a pairing like:
Contradictory Pairing: Paloma, Tart Cherry Soda, Citrus La Croix
Complementary Pairing: Honey Mead, Baileys on Ice, Vanilla Latte
The Duke of Windsor is a super chilled out cigar that is perfect for any occasion. The flavor profile is pretty straightforward on this one, containing sweet, creamy, nutty, and woody notes. It touches on the main flavor groups and sits at the crossroads of all these different flavors, making it a great place to start your cigar journey. Some drinks that would kick this cigar into high gear include:
Contradictory Pairing: Black Tea with Lemon, Dry Martini, Citrus Soda
Complementary Pairing: Honey Chamomile Tea, Coconut Water, Cream Soda
This one has a unique flavor profile of spice, toasted wood, and sugar cane. What's nice about this cigar is that it provides a mix of both subtle sweetness and spice that culminates in a tantalizing smoke. It's raw and handmade to perfection. Made with a Connecticut Shade wrapper, the exterior is slightly tanned and ready for you to smoke. Some great pairings include:
Contradictory Pairing: Black Coffee, Sparkling Wine, Citrus Lemonade
Complementary Pairing: Dr. Pepper, Horchata, Caramel Latte
These mellow smokes are great for a morning light-up or even an afternoon treat. They're mellow enough to chill out and enjoy by yourself or with friends. As you'll notice, mild-bodied cigars are typically creamier and have a softer overall profile, so when pairing them with drinks it's essential to take that velvety taste into consideration.
At the end of the day though, everyone's palate is uniquely their own, and what might sound downright delicious to one person may not be for another. If you want to pair Dr. Pepper with all your cigars, go for it! It's completely up to you, but these recommendations are meant to guide your pairing journey and maybe also help you navigate conversations around the topic so you can know the basics: full bodied and rich cigars will require a heavier drink unless you opt for a contradictory pairing, a medium bodied smoke is versatile and the drink options should lean toward something balanced, not too light, not too heavy, whereas milder blends can be great with creamy drink options. Drink up, smoke up, and enjoy the culmination of flavors that you get to experience from experimenting with your flavor pairings.
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