Cigar & Rum Pairing
Special Rum Negroni
I have lost count of how many times I’ve used a Rum Negroni for my cigar pairings but, to be honest, I’m always amazed by it. I prefer it over the Boulevardier (Bourbon Negroni) and the Classic Negroni (made with gin) and, most important, there are as many different versions of Rum Negronis as there are types of rum!
Special Rum Negorini
The recipe is very easy to put together (yet another reason why I often recur to it): equal parts of Campari, Vermouth Rosso and rum, but I confess to always adding a bit more rum in order to highlight its presence and style.
For this pairing I selected Plantation 1998 Jamaica, finished in Marsala barrels and bottled by C. Ferrand for Rum Depot in Berlin. The Vermouth I selected comes from Miró Reserva (Spain), aged for 6 months. This Vermouth may be hard for most people to get, but a friend of mine was going to travel to Spain and he made the mistake of asking me if I wanted anything from there, so of course I asked him to bring me a bottle. So, if you have any relatives or friends going to Spain (Barcelona area), you know what to do!
Something I did for this Negroni was to use a stirrer made from French Oak, made by Nadalie Cooperage, finished with a high-toast. I was using it to experiment with macerations and aromas and, while I think there is very little extraction from the wood in the cocktail, just having it as a decoration can help our minds perceive or focus more on the oak notes.
Partagas Serie N2
For the cigar I selected a Partagas Serie P N°2, somewhat intense tobacco, but I have total faith in this pairing. Keep in mind that this cigar format will last about 2 hours, so be ready to prepare and enjoy at least two cocktails!
As I mentioned at the beginning, unlike with the classic (original) recipe, I use a little bit more rum in order to tilt the balance in its favor, making sure the Campari is not as dominant. I don’t dislike Campari, but I want to make sure the cocktail is rum-centric. Don’t forget to squeeze a piece of orange peel in the inside of the serving glass, to collect its aromatic oils, which add a wonderful touch to the cocktail.
I hope you can recreate this pairing at home, using the closest ingredients you have at hand. I could have used my home-made, macerated Vermouth, for example, but in this case I wanted something with a bit more aging. And, if you don’t have this particular cigar, feel free to substitute it for a heavy-bodied one, to match the flavor intensity of the cocktail.
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
