Dirty RumHattan

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                                  Dirty RumHattan

A couple of days ago, I saw on Instagram that a friend (Jerry Gitany) was smoking a Partagás Gran Reserva and, just like looking at food can make you hungry, I knew then and there that for this pairing I would be smoking a Partagás.  I selected a Serie P N°2 (52 Ring x 156 mm), which will give me a little more than an hour of smoking time, so I can calmly match the pairing to the intensity of the cigar.

For the cocktail I thought about something that could easily be prepared at home, a mix of ingredients that we’ve used before.  I wanted to revisit the Rum Manhattan, with a couple of special touches, such as the addition of espresso, to add a new dimension to the cocktail.

The recipe is as follows:

  • 5 oz. Bacardi Rum
  • 10 Year Old
  • 1 ½ oz. Vermouth Rosso
  • 1 Shot of Espresso
  • Orange Peel for Garnish

Start by filling the martini glass with a lot of ice to chill it.  Add the espresso shot so that, in addition to being chilled, the glass will also have the flavors and the foam from the coffee.  Meanwhile, in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, combine the rum and the vermouth with a couple of ice cubes, to chill the mixture.

Now discard the contents of the martini glass and you’ll notice that it is nicely chilled and that the coffee remnants linger, which will play an important role in the next step.

After mixing the rum and vermouth in the mixing glass, strain the mixture (remove all the ice) into the Martini glass.  You’ll notice that the remaining touch of coffee gives the drink a new dimension, thus the name Dirty RumHattan.  We then squeeze freshly-cut orange peels, to spray the aromatic citric oils on the cocktail, which are the perfect and refreshing final touch.

It is time to light up the cigar.  Making a clean cut is easy with a classic Pirámide like this one from Partagás.  I remind myself that this cigar has been in my humidor for a very long time, the intensity level may not be at the level expected for this brand.  I also remember previous cigars I’ve smoked from the same box, all of them outstanding and thoroughly enjoyable, even into the last third, so this one should be no exception.

During the first third of the smoking, the cocktail comes across well-rounded.  The notes from the rum and from the vermouth are balanced, suggesting that drier or higher ABV rums would not work in this cocktail.

The flavors in the cocktail highlight the tannins and leather notes, with a warm finish, while the aromas are undoubtedly citric and red wine, making this a complete pairing throughout the length of the smoking session.

Just as I had suspected prior to lighting it up, after being aged for so many years, the cigar is excellent during the first and second thirds, never hiding its Cuban origin.

I hope that you can recreate this cocktail, taking care to use a good Vermouth Rosso, and making sure to chill the glass and to use fresh orange peels to give it the unique touch.

Cheers!

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing