A party is a great time to socialize and relax. And what party is complete without smokes and drinks? Throwing a party is particularly popular when the patrons have access to a cigar and alcohol pairing station at a party. Let’s consider the top 5 tips on putting the station together below:

Select Smooth Cigars

Considering that most of your guests are not seasoned cigar smokers, it makes perfect sense to select a variety of mild and medium cigars that won’t knock them out. Mild cigars usually pair best with lighter drinks, such as beers, Zinfandel white wines, and gin. A medium cigar fits best with medium-bodied beverages, such as bourbon, cognac, and red wines.

Select Smooth Drinks

Cognac is a classic drink that is commonly paired with cigars to offer a rich contrast on the palate. The sweetness of the cognac mixed with the earthiness, chocolate, leather, and floral notes of the cigar creates a unique tasting experience.

Bourbon is also a sweet treat that provides a unique depth in its flavor profile. This works well with cigars as a palate cleanser in between puffs. Bourbon is smoother than whiskey and will mitigate the harshness of some cigars.

Port wine is also desirable due to its natural sweetness and complex flavor profile. Aged rum and young whiskies also make excellent companions when smoking cigars. An aged whiskey may be too strong and can overpower the effects and tastes of the cigar.

Teach Your Guests Proper Etiquette

Plan the party with the bias that many of your guests have never smoked a cigar. Teaching them proper etiquette on how to cut the end and puff on it can make a world of difference in how they experience the event. Many new cigar smokers who are unexpectedly offered a cigar will try inhaling it and start coughing and perhaps feel uncomfortable.

Teaching your guests to savor the flavor and to retain some ash on the end of the cigar to limit the amount of air being drawn in and extend its life are great tips. It is also important to have ashtrays sufficient to accommodate all your guests.

Suggest Your Favorite Combinations

You don’t want to impose a rigid formulation on your guests. You simply want to share your observations of why a particular combination worked for you and encourage them to experiment. The event should be fun rather than a controlled scientific study.

Lighten up the atmosphere by making lighthearted suggestions and eagerly listening to the observations of others as they experiment with different cigar and drink combinations.

Provide Some Snacks

Nuts, fruits, and cheese are good snacks to have on hand. Wine and cheese traditionally pair well with each other. Nuts are commonly found at bars for beer drinkers to cleanse their palates and settle their stomachs as they drink.

Fruits complement the flavors of many wines and can also add complexity to the flavor profile of a cigar without overpowering it. Providing a variety of nuts, such as peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and honey-roasted varieties adds another rich dimension to the cigar bar flavor combinations.

Published By: Aize Perez