Cigar and Rum Pairing
Classic vs Classic
For this month’s pairing I decided to prepare two classic cocktails that everyone should be ready to make at home. I also decided to pair the cocktails with a cigar that could be smoked within 30 minutes.
For both cocktails I’ll be using Flor de Caña 18 Year Old Rum from Nicaragua. When tried neat, it is very drinkable, silky, has caramel and mild oak notes. The ex-whiskey barrels provide well-rounded background notes that allow for the lengthy aging to take place without being overpowering.
The first cocktail is a Rum Manhattan, we’ve used this recipe in the past and it lends itself very well for this type of rum, allowing it to shine through.
Flor de Caña
Rum Manhattan
3 oz. Flor de Caña 18
1 oz. Vermouth Rosso
Use an easy to find Vermouth, so you can always keep one at home. If using an opened bottle of vermouth, just make sure it is in good condition first. Vermouth, like all wines, can become oxidized over time.
The second cocktail is a crowd-pleaser: the Rum Negroni. Making a Negroni with rum results in a more agreeable cocktail and it normally uses only three ingredients in equal proportions. For the rum version, just like for the Boulevardier (American Whiskey Negroni), you can increase slightly the amount of rum.
Rum Negroni
1 1⁄2 oz. Flor de Caña 18
1 oz. Vermouth Rosso
1 oz. Campari
Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva
For the cigar I chose the Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva Chateau Natural (50 x 4 1⁄2), which should last about 30 minutes. It is made with a blend of tobacco leaves from different countries and has a medium body that should be ideal for both cocktails.
We will do the pairing simultaneously with both rums, to see how it unfolds during the first and second thirds of the smoking session.
As I light up the cigar, the tobacco notes begin to permeate my senses and I find that the Rum Manhattan is a perfect match: the rum is bold enough to rise above the Vermouth and the mildness of the first third of the cigar allows the rum to take center stage. The Rum Negroni is a bit more complex at first, even though it is balanced after increasing the amount of rum, as I explained earlier.
The smoking time is short and taking turns sipping both cocktails actually rounds up the experience, making it more enjoyable. As the session progresses the Rum Negroni starts to take the lead, offsetting the increase in intensity from the tobacco, reaching an excellent balance by the end of the second third, as I expected from the beginning.
Some people may think it is a crime to mix a rum of this age in cocktails, but when prepared with the correct proportions, the results are excellent. I hope you are able to find the ingredients so you can replicate this pairing.
Philip III Barake
#GRCigarPairing
