Apr 26 2012
Simple Tips To Pair Cigars And Alcoholic Drinks
The cigar typically is viewed as a luxury of the wealthy and powerful.Photographs of well-to-do men puffing on a stogie and swirling a cup of good brandy have been well documented and memorialized in cinema and TV. If you are just becoming curious about cigars and would want to relax with a stogie and drink after a long day’s work, here are a couple of hints to get you started out.
Historically, the cigar has been combined with a strong drink. The best way to enjoy a cigar is to pair it together with an alcoholic beverage. Commonly used spirits include rum, brandy, or whiskey. Some reason that a fine cigar should always be combined with a strong drink that has a hint of sweetness. Indeed, cigar smokers have long appreciated these popular pairings. For many years, the notion of pairing cigars with beer has gone neglected. But why disregard good old beer? Recently, the tendency has been to pair cigars with various varieties of beer. It seems that as cigars have entered the mainstream, it has been democratized and popularized. What better way to enjoy a puff of this lately popularized treat than to pair it with lagerh?
Pairing a good cigar with a top notch beer is not a simple feat (it isn’t as hard as sanding floorboards), but when pulled off, it is well worth the effort. Finding the ideal cigar to go with your drink is an art, but an art really worth mastering. Much of the pairing has to do with your experience level. If you’re a novice, you will likely need help in pairing your particular cigar with an appropriate beer. If you have a more experienced palate, and you know what you like, you can probably make connections between certain types of cigars and beers.
Because cigars are so strong and flavorful, among the challenges in pairing is to find a beer that enhances the intensity of the majority of cigars. Cigars have a very strong flavor, so looking for a beverage that complements this flavor can easily be quite a task.. Most cigars will pair nicely with a good barely wine or a single malt scotch. If your cigar can be defined as woody, spicy, with hints of cedar, try pairing it with a barley wine. The fruity hint of barely wine should complement nicely with the spicy flavor of your cigar. The mixture of a spicy cigar with a slightly fruity beer can result in an overall creaminess that is beneficial to the flavors of each significantly.
Should you have no clue as to what flavor combinations might work, experiment. The easiest way to find the right combination is through playing. First, find a cigar that you enjoy. Try to taste the characteristics that you enjoy about it. Then, look for a beer whose flavors you know might ‘match’ or complement the cigar. Many amazing discoveries are actually made in much this same way, just make sure you are outdoors in order to avoid triggering the smoke detectors.
