Sunshine has finally arrived and, as many cigar smokers leave their dark mancaves for the beautiful outside weather, it's time to enjoy some awesome warm weather drink and cigar pairings. Over the past few days our team has spent hours on our back decks and patios researching the best summertime cigar pairings for our customers. It was backbreaking work, but in the end it was totally worth it.
Bourbon Rickey and Kentucky Fire Cured Midnight Rambler
The Bourbon Rickey is an age-old cocktail that is as refreshing a beverage as you will come across. It is very simple to make, using only crushed ice, bourbon, lime and sparkling water. It has the spice and body from the bourbon, but the dash of lime juice, the ice and sparkling water make it cool and refreshing. For a solid pairing we went with the KFC from Drew Estate. Its complex and smoke profile paired very well with the bourbon while its smooth finish made it equally as rejuvenating.
Rusty Nail and Crowned Heads Four Kicks Maduro
The Rusty Nail is a traditional cocktail that was once one of the most requested drinks at bars across the country. It is made using Drambuie, a mix of scotch herbs and spices, straight Scotch, and ice. It is bold, rich, and complex, yet surprisingly smooth. The Drambuie adds in rich, sweet and heavy notes while the straight scotch gives it a nice smooth finish. Pairing this with the Four Kicks Maduro makes for quite an enjoyable experience with the rich and smooth characteristics of both working together in a remarkable way.
Suffering Bastard and Illusione Epernay Le Ferme
Per the name, this decades-old beverage was originally conceived as a hangover cure. It mixes bourbon, gin, lime juice, and ginger ale. It is bold, smooth, refreshing, and sweet all at the same time making it one of the more difficult cocktails to pair. However, we lit up the Illusione Epernay and surprisingly it went very well together. This medium-to-full-bodied smoke offers up notes of spice, leather, and cream with a similar smooth finish. After a night of partying, this is definitely the pairing I would reach for.
Rum Rangoon and Montecristo White Toro
If you want a smooth, flavorful, and Caribbean-style cocktail, the Rum Ragoon should be first on your list. This vacation beverage uses Rum, Creole Shrubb, lime juice, and sugar cane for syrup. Creole Shrubb is a mix of different rubs along with creole spices and orange zest for a slightly spicy yet sweet and refreshing island style drink. We went with the smooth Montecristo White Toro. Sitting on a beach with this drink and cigar combo is everyone’s dream.
The Revolver and Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado
For that after-dinner aperitif, we went with the relatively new cocktail known as the Revolver. First crafted in San Francisco in the early 2000s, the Revolver uses Bulleit bourbon along with coffee liqueur and orange bitters for a bold, sweet, and rich dessert cocktail. The Oliva Serie V Melanio has both the rich profile and bold strength to keep up with this new age drink.