When you’re wondering what drink goes best with a cigar, you’re opening yourself to an experiment. Most people are usually aware of what kind of drinks they like or would want to try. But if we ask you to pair a drink with the kind of smoke you try, you might fall short of options. It is not just about cigars but about finding the perfect blend.
All of us can test our tasting capabilities when it is about choosing a bottle of wine with dinner, sauce with steak, and so on. But why do we get confused when we need to choose a drink with our favorite cigars?
Your palate will give you the perfect answer so you need to keep it active and train it. The palate will soon become refined and you will have a success record to try the best drink that goes with a cigar.
How to select the drink that goes with a cigar?
When you’re looking for the ideal drink with a cigar, you will want to aim it with flavors that complement the cigar. You need a full-bodied beverage to go with a full-bodied piece of a cigar. It can be anything from champagne to prosecco, but you need to have the taste for it.
What drink goes best with a cigar?
Here’s the list of what drinks goes best with a cigar. All you need to do is choose the one that suits you and refine your palate with the best of both:
1. Cognac
Many people will not try a cigar with a glass of cognac, but we will tell you why you should. Timing is exactly what you need to consider when you try these too. Both the drink and the smoke are enjoyed after a heavy meal, and that’s why we link the two together. People who try this usually believe that this is the best drink to go with a cigar. That’s also the reason why we have it on top of the list.
Make sure you check the age of the cognac before you buy a bottle. If it says VS or Very Special, you will know that it has a low age category and will not go with a cigar. You need the VSOP or Very Special Old Pale that is at least four to five years old. You should start doing the experiment with this one and pair it up with mild or medium-bodied cigar.
2. Scotch or Bourbon
When buying a Scotch or Bourbon, you need to consider a few things. You must buy a small batch or single barrel Bourbon options with a single malt Scotch. These are high-end options for complex flavors and withstands the need of the palate while you pull the cigar.
Premium single malts leave a smoky quality and as there is smoked peat used for the filtering process. If you have options in cigars try the Cohiba ones. Take a small batch of Bourbon and you will get a drink to satisfy you on another level. It will prove to live up to your full or medium-bodied cigars due to the heavy flavor of the drink.
3. Kahlua
Kahlua is a mixture of coffee and liquor. These are the two primary ingredients that equally come out and perfectly blends a cigar. There is huge variation that you need to explore. From White or Black Russian to Revolver and Mudslide, there are many to choose from. You can try pairing it with any of the three options or taste one glass of each to know what’s best!
4. Port wine
Port wine is one of the underrated drinks when deciding what drink goes best with a cigar. However, the two are a classic pair and you must try it once. You need to mix the sweetness yet alcoholic touch with a vintage bottle of port with any of the full-bodied smoke.
The best part is, even the young vintage ports work well here due to the strong tannins. You can try spicy smoke to blend the two together. You can also choose a non-vintage alternative because the woody essence of cigars is enough to go with any port wine. (cantravelwilltravel.com)
5. Wine
Wine and cigars are not a surprise especially when it goes so well with port. White wine, however, isn’t the option we’re talking about here. You need to try red ones only. Just look for smoky wines that go perfect with the cigars like Merlot, and you will get the best combination. Try this one and we promise you will not regret it.
6. Rum
The best combination at a cheap cost will be cigars and rum. They are naturally paired together and also have historical significance. Be it Cuba or the Caribbean, people who made cigars have had a fair share of them with rum.
The combination of the two drinks has a significance that makes them more special. The cigar producers primarily make cigars to make it go with rum. You need to aim for a pair of your favorite smokes and choose the right kind of rum.
You should not look for regular or cheap rums when trying to pair it with cigars. Buy a quality product with a few more dollars and give your cigar the respect it deserves.
7. Coffee-based drinks
By now, you also know that coffee and liquor drinks go well with a cigar. So, this also means that you can have cigars with just coffee. If you’re not an alcohol drinker, all other options are void to you. Coffee is an ideal one that you can have with a cigar.
Try to buy Cuban coffee as they go well with cigars. You can also add Irish cream to your coffee as that too can go well with the smoke. The combinations give you layers of depth and taste amazing. It will also improve your cigar smoking experience.
Final thoughts
Now that you know what drink goes best with a cigar, just choose the one you like and buy it right away. Try the combination and tell us how did it go!
