Balancing Smoke and Spirits

Finding the best liquor to pair with cigars

If you think of smoking cigars, you’ll likely imagine the classic scene of someone relaxing with a cut-glass tumbler of rare bourbon in one hand and a finely rolled Cuban in the other. We love those moments. They are times when everything else is on pause and you can give yourself over to flavors that are dense with a history behind them, that are smooth with generations of care. But, we think that these occasions should not have to be restricted to this classic whiskey combination. There is a whole world of spirits and cigars out there, waiting to be paired together.

SOIL, SUN, AND TIME

By the time you sit there with that cigar in your hand, it is at least three years since those first seeds were planted. Between now and then, the leaves have grown in a specific place under specific conditions, in specific soil, before they have been harvested, rolled, stored, and then cured until our cigar delivery service brought them directly to you. There is time and care rolled in those leaves, the cigar the endpoint of years and generations of interaction between people and landscape in pursuit of that perfect, rich pull.

The same is true of rare and hard-to-find liquor brands; drinks that reflect the natural processes, the different climates, and the different techniques that made them. All of this comes together to make two kinds of products that are so deeply variable and so smoothly complex that you can spend a lifetime with them.

A WORLD OF FLAVOURS

At its simplest, the best combination of cigar and liquor is the combination that works best for you. There is no need for any of this to be opaque or intimidating. The best online liquor stores provide you with so many options that are there to be explored. You just need time and curiosity, to be able to sit back and let the flavors happen.

You could start with a whiskey, the heavy peat mixing with the earthy, gamey flavors of the cigar. Then explore a little wider. The richness of a good sipping tequila can be a great counterpoint to the depth of the smoke. Or maybe you might find that the icy clarity of vodka on the rocks balances out the thick luxury of the cigar. Why not try matching more complex drinks or cocktails. An hour with a fine cigar and an Old Fashioned sounds like an hour well spent.

In general, think about the balance of lightness and depth between the drink and cigar. Think about how they feel; whether they are soft on the tongue or if they give that slight, pleasing smart in the throat, that warm afterglow in the chest. It is a leisurely process of finding your perfect balance where cigar and liquor are in dialogue, not competition, with each other.

OUTSIDE THE BOX, BEYOND THE CASK

In all of this, we think it is important to remember that these are luxurious moments that are specific to you and those you spend them with. There are no hard rules, only curiosity and pleasure. The modern ease of liquor store delivery means these options have never been more available. There is a whole range of top shelf bourbon, quality tequila brands, premium spirits and best mezcal brands that are waiting to be tried. Enjoy. Visit our Online Liquor Store