subject: How To Pair Cigars With Beverages [print this page] People have been enjoying the pastime of smoking cigars with their favorite beverages for centuries. If you are asking "What should I drink while cigar smoking?", you will find that there really isn't a cut-and-dried answer to this question. The drinks that you choose to enjoy with your cigars will depend entirely on personal preference. That being said, there are certain guidelines that may help you to find pairings that you will enjoy.
The first tip for pairing cigars with drinks is to understand how to strike a balance between the two. For instance, a strong drink such as dark coffee or high-alcohol beverage will diminish the flavor of a light-bodied cigar. In general, a full-bodied cigar goes best with full-bodied drinks, medium-bodied cigars with medium-bodied drinks, and, you guessed it, light-bodied cigars with light-bodied drinks.
Keep in mind that the above rule is just a generalization and will help novice cigar smokers get started. However, it is important to experiment since everyone has different taste preferences. Limiting yourself with not allow you to make new discoveries about which smokes and beverages you like the best together. If you are new to cigar smoking, however, it might be a good idea to start your cigar-beverage pairings using the general rule of matching cigar-beverage weights with one another. You can then begin to explore once you have a better idea of which pairings tend to agree with your palate the most.
Coffee is a common non-alcoholic beverage that smokers often enjoy with their cigars. The great thing about coffee is that it's relatively easy to pair this beverage with cigars since coffee is usually described in the same way that cigars are. If you prefer medium-bodied cigars, for instance, experiment with your favorite medium-bodied coffee grounds. On that note, if you purchase expensive cigars, make the most of your smokes by also purchasing high-quality coffee grounds. Drinking an expensive cigar with instant coffee, for example, will be a waste of your investment. Choose coffee that offers strong, complex flavors if you are smoking an expensive, full-bodied cigar.
Popular alcoholic drinks that many cigar smokers enjoy include scotch, rum, and cognac. Wines and even flavorful, quality beer are also popular among cigar smokers. As you become a more experienced cigar smoker, you will find that your taste buds will lead you to the right drink. In other words, you'll begin to intuitively know what drinks to choose based on the flavor and strength of your cigar.
