This is typically where I launch into 1,000 unfettered words of brilliance, but I want to start with a disclaimer. I would not have included alcohol in my lounges if I did not have a passion for cocktails and spirits. However, we are NOT a bar. The distinction is important. We lead with relationships and cigars. Cocktails and spirits are icing on the proverbial cake.
In 2022, 13,524 people died in alcohol-related crashes. That is one person every 39 minutes. I would encourage all my fellow retailers who enable alcohol, in any form, to be enjoyed in their lounge to take this responsibility seriously.
My staff gets asked every single day, “What should I drink with this cigar?” Both of our lounges have a full bar. We offer beer, wine, coffee, soda, spirits and a rotating cocktail list crafted by our bar operations lead for each season. There is almost as much complexity in our drink selections as we have in our 750+ facings in the humidor. Nothing is better than finding that perfect drink (and conversation) to accompany your cigar. If I were to sum up the concept of pairing a cigar with a drink in one word it would be … complement.
As defined, we are trying to “add something that brings another to perfection.” Just like a master blender is looking for harmony between the tobaccos in a premium cigar, our goal is the same when pairing a drink to our cigar du jour. There is no right answer to this question. Just like a cigar is going to affect each consumer differently, a drink pairing offers the same diversity of opinion. This is what makes the journey so compelling on all fronts.
To have the broadest impact on my reading audience, I am going to cover a multitude of drink options and discuss what I would pair with them. I am going to order this based on my palate. Your experience may vary. I truly hope it does. That is what makes this part of our business so fun.
Coffee
Hands down, this is my favorite drink pairing while smoking a cigar. I am a simple black coffee guy. I don’t add anything. I prefer a medium roast but will gladly partake of any blend that is not “burnt” on the palate. As this is how I start my day, I tend to gravitate towards a lighter body cigar that is not competing with the acidity of the coffee. Later in the day, or as an end to a meal, I might order a latte or cappuccino (read soft and sweet) and increase the body and complexity in the flavor profile for my cigar. Our new location offers a traditional Cuban Coffee on the menu. This masterpiece demands a full body cigar pairing to balance the sugars in this coffee creation.
Scotch
This runs a close second for me. I enjoy drams from the whole of Scotland, which makes navigating cigar pairings to regions a rich endeavor. If we keep the word complement in mind, it becomes easier to navigate. If my customer leans toward a lighter body cigar, I tend to recommend pours that have a bit more hutzpah. A solid Islay or Campbeltown is going to offer more smoke, peat and ocean to build on a lighter cigar profile. If my customer has chosen a stronger cigar profile, I am going to steer them towards a Highland or Speyside to provide a sweetened balance to their cigar.
Rum
This one is easy. The Cuban equivalent of “meat and potatoes” may as well be “rum and cigars.” Both treasures originated in the Americas and have enjoyed a worldwide stage being paired together. The variance of rum—white, dark, spiced, etc.)—is a natural complement to the variance in premium cigars. It is tough to go wrong here. The Cuba Libre (or in my lounges, the Skinny Pirate) is a great treat for those who avoid straight spirit drinks.
Tequila
This might catch some off guard. If you shuddered a bit, it was probably a flashback to a bad night with the worm. What I am talking about is pairing premium sipping tequilas with my cigars. The vanillas and depth found in an añejo tequila are a delightful complement to that spice-rich Nicaraguan puro your customer is preparing to smoke. Trust me. You garnish that pour with an orange that has a bit of cinnamon on it and you are creating a meal to be savored!
Cocktails
Not only is this the primary earnings driver for your bar operations, but it also offers the most flexibility to create cocktails that pair with diverse body and flavor profiles found in your cigar offerings. We find the most success in traditional cocktails (Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sazerac) that trend on the sweet side. This is consistent with our goal of complementing the body and flavors of the cigars in our humidors.
Beer/Wine
I probably should write a whole article to speak to these categories faithfully. I am NOT a big beer fan (I only drink Guinness), but my personal wine cellar is bonkers fun to drink out of for those who know me. These categories tend to have lower margins for us and are much tougher to curate faithfully. If this is a big offering in your lounge, keep it up! If you are looking to develop this part of your lounge, know your customers. They are going to be as fickle about these as all the cigars in your humidor.
I really do think a drink can bring out the perfection in the premium cigar smoking experience. There are no right answers, just a fabulous journey of trial and trial some more.
– Article contributed by Josh Evarts, a tobacconist at Vault Cigar Lounge, Meridian, Idaho. Photo: TheGold Tiger/Adobe Stock.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 3, 2024. To receive a copy of this magazine you must be a current member of PCA. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.