Cigar & Rum Pairing
Most of us have been experiencing opposite weathers as of late: here in the Southern hemisphere we are suffering horrendous heat waves, while in the Northern hemisphere there are reports of extreme low temperatures with polar vortices that is only getting worse as the years go by.
These weather events cause a problem for us, which involves finding the appropriate conditions to enjoy a cigar, and also, what to smoke. For these reasons I thought of a pairing that would not last more than 20 minutes, with a small cigar, and I believe I have a perfect choice.I recently put together a pairing with a Dominican cigar, the brand name is Fuller Cigar and it is made by a Chilean. Their portfolio includes a “Napoli,” a Tuscan-style cigar with a medium body, infused with aromas of chocolate and coffee, which is ideal for this cold-weather pairing.
Now that we have the cigar, it is time to select the perfect cocktail. Thinking about the challenging weather, I decided to conduct a test. This is a cocktail I’ve made before as a Rum Espresso Martini, but with a few changes.
Coffee Split
- 2 oz Espresso Coffee
- 2 oz Aged Rum (not older than 5 years)
- 1 oz Coffee Liqueur
- 1 oz Banana Liqueur
Ideally, you’ll use a cocktail shaker to combine all the ingredients, then strain into a rocks glass with large ice cubes. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can combine the ingredients in a blender, but you’ll then want to start with frappe (finely crushed) ice, to make the cocktail more uniform and easier to enjoy.
In my case, I used a cocktail shaker. If you do as well, please remember to use large ice cubes. When you shake it, you’ll generate foam, which will help you as a bed for a couple of coffee beans as decoration.
When smoking infused cigars like this one, you enjoy their flavor/aroma the moment your lips touch them, even before lighting up the cigars. In this case the flavors are those of chocolate and coffee, which will only increase when we incorporate the cocktail.
The balance between the sweetness and the tobacco notes make of this an ideal “dessert pairing,” but, in our case, it is perfect for a snow-covered patio, after having dinner with the family, while we sneak out to enjoy a special moment.There are many Coffee Liqueurs available out there, I grabbed a bottle of Irish Coffee Mix, called Irish Velvet. I use this liqueur exclusively for pairings and they always turn out spectacular. I’m sure many of you also have favorite bottles that you don’t like to share with others.
It is a simple and sweet pairing for coffee and cigar aficionados. Bundle up before you go outside to enjoy this pairing, and then let it warm you up!
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
