How do you pair cigars with alcohol?!
How do you pair cigars with alcohol?
Like scotch would you want a bold cigar? Or does it depend on the brand?
Answers:
It really depends.
I have favorite cigars, but I have certain drinks that I can have with pretty much any cigar. For instance: New Castle, Guiness, Cognac, Dr Pepper, Root Beer, Coca Cola, Port Wine, or Scotch.
I can get superficial when it comes to the drink I pair with my cigar. I usually group a good Cuban with great Cognac or Single Malt.
It all varies on location and situation.
Milton Berle published a magazine dedicated to cigars and alcohol. Look for a few old copies to get his selections.
Take a puff; take a sip. Take a puff; take a sip. Take a puff; take a sip. That's how I pair my cigars with alcohol -- it a very relaxing progression.
That said, there is one other major consideration: Life is too short to smoke cheap cigars or drink cheap booze.
As for the cigars I smoke, my favorite is the Baccarat Churchill. It is a hand made Honduran cigar that is mild with a slightly sweet overtone. They retail for about $4.00, but I usually get them by the box from JR Cigars out of North Carolina for about half price. ( http://www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm?page=h... ) I also will order other brands in smaller quantities: Punch, Romeo Y Julieta, Don Diego, Jose Marti, H. Upmann, Cohiba, amoung others. I also order some of the sampler packs that JR Cigars sells as well. These are a great way to try different brands.
As for what to sip, well, it depends on the mood I'm in and who I'm with. Sometimes I will have a good beer, either a micro brew or one of my home brews. Sometimes I will have a single malt Scotch, Glenfiddich or Glenlivet -- Speyside Scotches seem to me to go well with a good cigar. I also drink Crown Royal, Maker's Mark, Virginia Gentleman VG 90, Jack Daniels, and Hennessey X.O. Cognac. Port or Sherry also pair well with a good cigar.
When I do enjoy a wee dram of whisky (or whishey, depending on which distillery I am supporting), and like I said, life's too short to drink cheap liquor.
Bottom line, smoke the cigar you enjoy smoking, and drink the drink you enjoy drinking.
Cheers.
Cigars are excellent with a glass of Port, Cognac, whiskey or Bourbon.
The cigar should not be "flavored" if anything it might be dipped in Cognac or whiskey. I recommend you go to a tobacco shop instead of a convenience shop.
There is nothing like a cigar and a Port on a cool night. Very relaxing.
Good luck.
I would match quality with quality, and boldness with boldness. For instance, a fine 20-year-old single malt scotch you would want to pair with a Montecristo Platinum or a Cohiba. At the Old Milwaukee keg party, stick with the stogies they sell behind the counter at the 7-Eleven. And everything in between. Right now, I'm pairing a Sam Adams Summer Ale with a Cifuentes Y Cia. Partagas 1845, on the lanai of my Florida home. It seems to be working well.