For this pairing, I continue to explore classic cocktail modifications. Now it is time for one that I’ve had in mind for a while, as I’ve recalled my tastings of Rhum Agricole. I’m referring to one of the iconic cocktails of Martinique and Guadeloupe, their national drink: Ti’ Punch or Petit Punch. It is a “pure” cocktail, in a similar way the Old Fashion is too, and we’ve already experimented with making rum versions of the latter, which I believe are the best expressions of Old Fashion cocktails.
For this occasion, I selected a Rhum Agricole from the island of Guadeloupe, the Black Cane from Rhum Bologne. It is a limited production from a raw material that is hard to obtain: the black sugarcane. If I had to describe the rum’s aroma, I’d say that it features the raw sugarcane components, and that it is loaded with herbal/vegetal notes, with strong menthol and floral elements.
After reading my description of the aroma, fresh and citric cocktails should be the obvious choice, but in the world of cocktail and cigar pairings, such combinations would only work during a very sunny/hot day, if you are in the middle of a sugarcane plantation, but this is not the case where I am. I feel inspired to start with the original cocktail, but then giving it a twist inspired by the Negroni. Here is the recipe I developed:
1 oz. Rhum Bologne
1 oz. Vermouth Blanco (better if it is aged)
1 oz. Campari
As you can see, the ingredients are simple, and the preparation instructions are even more. Since the cocktail calls for equal proportions of each ingredient, the ingredients themselves maintain the balance. In other words, increasing or decreasing the volume of a single ingredient will result in an imbalanced experience. The final touch for this cocktail is to garnish it with a lime peel twist (unlike the Negroni, which calls for an orange peel).
For the cigar, I selected a Robusto from Dias de Gloria, from the AJ Fernández factory. It is made from 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos, with a medium to high intensity, which is typical of the cigars from that region. What is not typical is how it pairs with a cocktail like this one, so let’s see what happens.
While smoking the first third of the cigar, the tobacco’s earthy notes are very enjoyable when combined with the initial sips of the cocktail, even though the latter has decisively more bitter flavors. These flavors are accompanied by hints of spices and sweet notes reminiscent of dried fruits.
As we progress through the pairing, the cocktail starts to showcase its fresh and citric side and, just as we anticipated earlier, the herbal and bitter notes combine exquisitely with the green vegetal components of the rhum.
As I smoke the second third, the cigar continues to burn very well and the intensity we expected becomes apparent. Dry fig note start to emerge, as the bitterness fades away into the background.
As I approach the end of the second third, the pairing continues to be well-balanced, with the emergence of fresh vanilla notes that end with an herbal bitterness.
Even though normally I am not a big fan of Negronis, this version inspired by Ti’ Punch has opened up my mind to the versatility of the recipe. I hope that you are able to recreate this pairing at home, using similar ingredients. Don’t worry if your Vermouth Blanco is old, the slightly oxidized notes from mine actually helped the cocktail’s character.
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
