Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – 23rd Street Violet Gin
Cigars and alcohol. Two luxury products that go hand in hand, and sometimes even meet on business level. Aging tobacco in whisky, rum, or cognac barrels is a practice several brands do to achieve extra flavour to the wrapper for certain lines.
The famous bourbon brand Maker’s Mark has their own cigar, sold in tubes with the signature wax coating. Drew Estate works with Pappy van Winkle and used to make Kahlua cigars. Mombacho used to have the Diplomatico series but Mombacho no longer exists. General Cigars works with Sazerac, which resulted in Fireball cigars, Weller by Cohiba and collaborations with Buffalo Trace. And there is the Diesel Whisky Row, a collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries. Fratello Cigars also sells craft beer.
Most famous are probably the Cuban collaboration between Martell Cognac and Cohiba. Dominique London, the European retailer with more than 20 shops in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and the Canary Islands takes it one step further. They bought a distillery in Wales and produce whisky, gin, rum, vodka and liquors.
23rd Street Violet Gin
I let my wife pick some gin at the duty free store on the airport and she brought me a bottle of this Australian artisan gin. I never heard of the brand so I googled and learned that the site of the distillery was initially constructed in 1914 and boasts a rich history within the region. Throughout the years, it served as the home to various labels including Chateau Tanunda, Renmano Wines, Berri Estate, and Hardy’s Wine. Following a period of adversity, the site ceased operations in 2004 before reopening its doors on September 23, 2016, as Twenty Third Street Distillery.
The limited-edition Violet Gin stands as the mood ring of beverages. It takes the brooding blues of Butterfly Pea flower and transforms them into ultraviolet hues when paired with tonic. A delightful array of Australian native botanicals, including lemon myrtle, finger lime, and pepper berry, create a captivating bouquet. It’s an invitation to express one’s spirit.
The method involves distilling pure, smooth Australian sugarcane spirit with traditional juniper and a selection of Australian native botanicals, such as lemon myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, pepper berry, finger lime, and wattle seed. Butterfly pea flowers are steeped in the liquid for 18 hours to impart their natural blue tint. This hue is sensitive to pH levels, shifting to a delicate violet with the addition of acidity, such as tonic or lemon.”
Neat
The best way to experience a new spirit is in a Glencairn and since this is a new spirit to me, I took the trusted glass out of the bar again. The colour is violet, as the name suggests. The nose is floral with also tones of juniper and pine. Fresh juniper, pine and lively citrus aromas precede a spicy warmth. On the palate, layers of intriguing flavour unfold, from familiar juniper to juicy finger lime, mellow wattle seed and lingering zest and peppery spice. It’s a very interesting gin, and I need to get a few bottles more before they sell out. Pair this with a smaller cigar, with some strength, a medium to full bodied Tatuaje Havana VI Petit Corona for example.
Gin & Tonic
The Gin & Tonic is my ‘go to’ cocktail in a bar when I want to play it safe. And it’s also the first cocktail I make when I try a new gin, as a baseline cocktail so I do the same for this gin.
I love the way the colour of the gin changes when you add the tonic from violet to bright purple. The nose is muted due to the ice and the tonic water. The Gin & Tonic has a stronger citrus flavour than most G&T’s I made, with a lot of pine which gives the cocktail a fresh flavour. The juniper and the floral flavours make this a very nice summer drink. That the colour changes due to the use of the Butterfly Pea Flower gives the cocktail a very nice visual bonus. Pair this with a nice medium bodied cigar and you’ll treat yourself to a good night.
And now for the gin tonic recipe:
2 ounces of 60ml of gin
4 ounces or 120ml of Tonic water
Fill a Copa or Collins glass with ice. Add the gin, then the tonic and stir gently.
Cosmonaut
This is an original cocktail from Milk & Honey in New York and created by bartender & co-owner of the bar, Sasha Petraske. This is a slightly altered version though.
The cocktail looks a bit cloudy because of the marmalade. The nose shows the raspberry with a bit of the pine of the gin. The raspberry brings sweetness while the citrus flavours from the gin pair well with the lemon juice. This is not a citrus forward cocktail but the citrus flavour is strong. Yet the flavours are also delicate, so it makes it hard to pair with a cigar. Normally I would recommend a strong and earthy cigar, but that would ruin the complexity and nuances of the cocktail. Therefore I would go with a medium bodied cigar, with a woody flavour profile such as the My Father La Promessa, Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve or the Drunken Chicken Fat Hen.
And now for the Cosmonaut recipe:
2 ounces of 60ml of gin
¾ ounces or 22½ml of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 barspoons of raspberry marmalade
Stir all the ingredients in the base of a shaker tin to dissolve the marmalade. Add ice, shake and then strain into a coupe glass.
Inspector X
