Old Pal – Rum Version

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Old Pal – Rum Version

Continuing our journey through classic cocktails with a rum twist, I came across an old recipe from the prohibition era, which was first published shortly after its repeal. It is a version of the Negroni, in that it calls for equal parts of Gin, Vermouth Rosso and Campari, but replacing Gin with Rye Whiskey and Vermouth Rosso with Dry Vermouth. Sounds simple, no? So it is now our turn to add one more twist and replace the Rye Whiskey with a rum (rhum) from Martinique with a strong oak component and a very strong note of sugarcane juice. I opted for the Clément 10 Year Old.

The mixing technique is quite simple: shaker glass and equal amounts of all three ingredients (portion size determine by size of serving glass) and a piece of lemon peel as a garnish. 

The cigar for this pairing is a Hoyo de Monterrey, Epicure N°2 (Robusto 50 x 124mm) from the Reserva line. The Reserva line for Habanos represents a new wave of tobaccos released by Habanos S.A. where each and every one of the leaves has at least 3 years of aging. Cigars from Hoyo de Monterrey are known for their elegancy and smoothness, so let’s see how this cigar behaves in this pairing.

Cocktail Preparation. The technique involves chilling the ingredients in a shaker or mixing glass. If you don’t have a traditional mixing glass, any large glass will do. Remember to chill the Martini glasses ahead of time or to fill them with ice when you start preparing the cocktail, to insure they are at the proper temperature when serving the cocktail.

For my 7 oz. Martini glass I used the following amounts:

2 oz Rhum Clément 10 Years Old

2 oz Vermouth Dry

2 oz Campari

Lemon peel twist for garnish

The procedure is nothing new, we used it before when making the Rum Manhattan. This is exactly the same and we can tell, from experience, that it will turn out like a Negroni, but more delicate and elegant, just like the cigar we chose for this occasion.

We lit the cigars and the draw was perfect, I started to question the best time of the day for this pairing, because it could very well serve as a pre-aperitif, or as a mid-day smoke before a lunch with friends, or as a lead-in to end with another pairing. Thinking about it a bit more, I guess you could say that this is a great breakfast pairing. 

There were notes that individually did not jump out, but when combining the cocktail with the cigar they were clearly evident, such as a strong cocoa flavor (like that of cocoa that is over 75% pure), just as if we were chewing on a piece of dark chocolate while doing the pairing.

The cocktail is well balanced, but the Campari note is present without dominating, which reminded us from the beginning of a Negroni, but smoother and more rounded, elegant in the case of this pairing. I can’t imagine stronger cigars pairing well with this cocktail. Feel free to change this rum with others, exploring the full range of flavors, perhaps something with even more oak or with a higher congener content, but I wouldn’t recommend a cigar that is above medium body.

Philip Ili Barake

#GR CigarPairing

-Article written by Philip Ili Barake- 

My name is Philip Ili Barake, Sommelier by trade. As a result of working with selected restaurants and wine producers in Chile, I started developing a passion for distilled spirits and cigars. As part of my most recent job, I had the opportunity to visit many Central American countries, as well as, rum distilleries and tobacco growers.

But my passion for spirits and cigars did not end there; in 2010 I had the honor of representing Chile at the International Cigar Sommelier Competition, where I won first place, becoming the first South American to ever achieve that feat.

Now I face the challenge of impressing the readers of “Got Rum?” with what is perhaps the toughest task for a Sommelier: discussing pairings while being well aware that there are as many individual preferences as there are rums and cigars in the world.

I believe a pairing is an experience that should not be limited to only two products; it is something that can be incorporated into our lives.

I hope to help our readers discover and appreciate the pleasure of trying new things (or experiencing known things in new ways).