Pairing Cigars with Non-Alcoholic Drinks

How to stay on the wagon while pleasing your taste buds

While most of our cigar and beverage pairing guides focus on beer, cocktails, whiskey, and rum, this time I’m turning my eyes towards matching up some good smokes with non-alcoholic drinks. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Pairing cigars without alcohol? Is that even a thing?" It is, and when done right it can be a gamechanger.

So, what's the deal with pairings anyway?

Basically, it's all about the flavors. To keep things simple, here’s a few things I try to keep in mind for perfectly pairing a cigar with a non-alcoholic drink.

• Complementary flavors: Some tastes just work together. Think of how coffee brings out the chocolatey notes of a Maduro wrapper.
• Contrasting flavors: Yeah, I know I just said that you should look for complementary flavors in your pairing. No rule is absolute because sometimes, opposites attract. Like, a spicy cigar will really sing when paired with a smooth, creamy drink.
• Intensity matching: A bold, full-bodied cigar needs a drink that can keep up, while a milder smoke pairs well with subtler flavors.

Now let’s get to the good stuff—how to make these principles work in your everyday life. From your morning joe to some favorite sodas, we'll cover all the bases and everything in-between.

Ready to Pair Cigars and Drinks Like a Pro?

Coffee

Coffee is perhaps the most popular non-alcoholic drink to pair with cigars. The intensity of the coffee can match the strength of the cigar, with milder cigars pairing well with lighter coffees and bolder cigars complementing darker brews.

What to Smoke: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial

When pairing coffee with a premium Maduro cigar like the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial, consider a rich, full-bodied brew to match its robust flavors. The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial offers notes of dark chocolate, earth, and spice, which complement a dark roast coffee featuring similar flavor profiles. This pairing allows you to fully appreciate the nuances of both the cigar and the coffee, making for a sublime moment of relaxation.

Tea

Various types of tea, including green, white, and herbal infusions, can also be excellent companions to cigars. The delicate flavors of tea can enhance the smoking experience without overpowering the cigar's profile. Experimenting with different tea types can yield delightful results

What to Smoke: RyJ House of Montague

Trying the Romeo y Julieta Montague with tea can create a variety of experiences. This medium-plus strength cigar, known for its bold flavors of dark coffee, spice, and cocoa, matches up with the profiles found in various teas.

• A black tea can enhance the cigar's earthy and spicy notes.
• An oolong tea may add depth with its smoky undertones.
• A white tea can provide a refreshing contrast, allowing the sweeter aspects of the cigar to shine through.

Experimenting with these tea options can elevate the overall enjoyment of the cigar, highlighting its rich complexity while providing a balanced pairing experience.

Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate, particularly when made rich and creamy, goes beautifully with heavier cigars. The chocolate notes can bring out similar flavors in the tobacco, making it a favored choice among many cigar smokers.

What to Smoke: Espinosa & Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich Habano

The pairing of an Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Habano with hot chocolate offers a contrast of flavors and textures. The Knuckle Sandwich Habano, known for its medium to full-bodied profile, presents notes of cedar, pepper, and a subtle sweetness that interplays beautifully with rich hot chocolate. This combo works so well because balancing the boldness of the Habano wrapper with the warm embrace of cocoa results in an experience ideal for a chilly morning or cozy evening.

Soft Drinks

Cola and Dr Pepper are recommended for their ability to complement the flavors of cigars. Different colas and Dr Pepper, with the many different flavors they contain, can enhance the cigar experience. However, purists may argue that fizzy soft drinks can overshadow the cigar's taste.

What to Smoke: Dunbarton Sobremesa Brulee

Enjoying a Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Brûlée with a cola or Dr. Pepper creates an intriguing contrast of flavors. This cigar, known for its smooth, creamy profile with notes of caramel and vanilla, finds an unexpected companion in the effervescence and sweetness found in soft drinks. A cola's caramel undertones and slight acidity complement the cigar's subtle sweetness, while its carbonation cleanses the palate between puffs. This pairing demonstrates that even a familiar soft drink can elevate the enjoyment of a premium cigar, offering an accessible and enjoyable option.

Iced Tea, Lemonade, & Juice

Iced tea, lemonade, and fruit juices—particularly citrus-based ones—can be refreshing choice to enjoy with a cigar but should be chosen carefully. While they can cut through the richness of a cigar, overly sweet or acidic options might overwhelm the subtler flavors of the tobacco. Orange juice, for instance, can be a surprisingly good pairing for some cigars.

What to Smoke: H Upmann 1844 Añejo

The H. Upmann 1844 Añejo, known for its medium-bodied profile and nuanced flavors, offers versatile pairing options with many different beverages.

• When paired with tart lemonade, the cigar's subtle spice and woody notes create a lively contrast that awakens the palate.
• Iced tea brings out the cigar's earthy undertones, especially if the tea is unsweetened, allowing the natural tobacco flavors to shine.
• For something a little different, pairing the H. Upmann 1844 Añejo with a juice, like orange or apple, complements its mellower characteristics, enhancing the cigar's inherent sweetness without overpowering its delicate flavor profile.

These options offer a refreshing twist on traditional cigar accompaniments, perfect for enjoying on a warm afternoon or as a lighter alternative to more robust drink combinations.

Ultimately, the best pairing depends on you. It’s all about finding what you like and exploring how some flavors work together for you while others don’t. Experimenting with different combinations of cigars and non-alcoholic beverages can lead to discovering some choices that enhance your overall premium cigar experience.