The White Pirate 2.0

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                               The White Pirate 2.0

I recall that a while ago I did pairings with Black and White Russians.  Both are classic vodka cocktails that use coffee liqueur as an important ingredient.  Since many coffee liqueurs are produced using sugarcane alcohol, it is natural to think of a Rum White Russian recipe, where the cream is mixed with a rum, ideally a white or young one.  This line of thinking helped me arrive at the recipe for this White Pirate 2.0:

  • 1 oz. 10 Cane Rum from Trinidad and Tobago
  • ¾ oz. Table Cream
  • ½ oz. Simple Syrup
  • 1 ½ oz. Flor de Caña Coffee Liqueur
  • Garnish: Cocoa Powder

Start by adding all ingredients, except the Coffee Liqueur, to a blender vase, along with a fistful of crushed ice.  Mix for approximately 1 minute and then pour into a short/whiskey glass that already has the Coffee Liqueur in it, along with 2 or 3 ice cubes, depending on their size.  Slowly and carefully top the glass with the mixture from the blender.  The garnish is optional.  In my case, I love Tiramisu, so I garnished the cocktail with the cocoa powder, to remind me of the dessert.

I chose 10 Cane because of its character and its impact on the cocktail’s flavor profile.  If you don’t have a bottle of it in your collection (which is likely, since it is no longer being produced), you can replace it with a Rhum Agricole Blanc or with a craft pot still rum that has a similar aroma of raw rum.  As a last resource you can use a Cachaça, but depending on the brand you use, you may end up with exaggerated congener notes in the cocktail.

Regarding the cigar, Antonio, who is one of the bartenders working with me at Red Frog, gifted me a couple of Drew Estate cigars, from the Herrera Estelí line, a new addition to their portfolio and, at first sight, they appear to have a heavy Cuban influence.  Unlike other product lines we’ve tried from Drew Estate, these cigars lean more towards a medium intensity with creamy notes, making it very easy to smoke, especially when paired like we are doing today.  They also offer Short Corona Gorda, Robusto Extra, Lonsdale Deluxe, Lancero, Toro Especial, Toro en Tubo and the one we’ll be smoking today: Pirámide Fino, which shares the same dimensions as the Toro (52 Ring x 6).  The cap is in the familiar pyramid shape you’d expect from the name.  The filler is 100% from Nicaragua, the binder is from Honduras and the wrapper is Ecuador Habano.

I light up the cigar first, to allow it to gain temperature and to let us explore the cigar’s aroma before sipping the cocktail.  The creaminess from the tobacco is clearly evident from the start and it begs to be paired with the type of cocktail we prepared.  The cigar’s format will allow us to prepare a couple of cocktails to enjoy along, it will depend on where you are and how quickly or slowly you drink the cocktails, given the temperature of your surroundings.

As you approach the second third of the cigar, you should also be reaching for your second (or even third!) cocktail, which helps keep the intensity of the tobacco in check.  We’re basically counteracting the strength of the tobacco with the sweetness of the cocktail.  I think cold weather is ideal for this pairing, otherwise the ice would melt faster, resulting in a watered-down cocktail.

I hope you can recreate this pairing, it may be difficult to find a bottle of this particular rum, but it is easy to replace it with something else that will please your palate.

Cheers!

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing