Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram

Cigars and fine liquor are a natural pairing, enhancing each other’s complexity and depth. Whether it’s a rich whisky, a smooth rum, or a refined cognac, the right drink can elevate the cigar experience, and vice versa. This synergy is so profound that some cigar brands take it a step further, aging their tobacco in liquor barrels to infuse their cigars with unique flavours.

Several iconic collaborations between cigar and liquor brands have emerged from this shared passion for craftsmanship. Maker’s Mark, for example, offers cigars housed in their signature wax-sealed tubes, while Drew Estate has partnered with Pappy Van Winkle and even crafted Kahlua-flavoured cigars in the past. General Cigars has teamed up with Sazerac, resulting in creations like Fireball cigars and Weller by Cohiba, alongside partnerships with Buffalo Trace. Diesel’s Whisky Row cigars, produced in collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries, are another fine example of this harmonious relationship.

Cuban cigars have also embraced this trend, with Cohiba famously collaborating with Martell Cognac. In Europe, Dominique London, a luxury retailer, has gone even further by acquiring a distillery in Wales, producing their own whisky, gin, rum, and other liquors to pair with their cigars.

Pairing cigars with liquor creates a world of possibilities for the discerning connoisseur, allowing both the cigar and the spirit to shine through their complementary flavours. This rich tradition continues to inspire new partnerships and innovations, providing endless enjoyment for enthusiasts.

Introduction: When Spice Meets Smoke — The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram in a Cigar Pairing

In the world of cigar-and-spirits pairing, one seeks balance — complementary aromas, counterpoints of texture, and the alchemy that arises when two rich sensorial worlds collide. Enter The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram, a bold and aromatic allspice liqueur built on a Jamaican rum foundation.

Pimento dram—sometimes called allspice dram—is crafted by steeping pimento (allspice) berries in rum, allowing the spirit to draw out the complex medley of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and peppery warmth. In the case of The Bitter Truth’s expression, you’ll find a liqueur that is vivacious, bold, and densely spiced — at 22 % ABV — designed for judicious use in cocktails rather than as a sipper in its own right.

Neat

The nose is strong. The liqueur has an almost medicinal aroma of clove, cinnamon and other dark spices. The mouthfeel is thick, with clove at first before a strong, pleasant and slightly sweet cinnamon flavour. There is some nutmeg too with hints of pepper. This is a great liqueur, mostly used for cocktails but a glass of this neat is pleasant too. Too sweet to drink more than one small glass, but that one glass will be pleasant. The flavours linger around for a long time. Pair this with a cigar with a woody flavour profile and you’ll have a perfect match.

Lion’s Tale Cocktail

The Lion’s Tail is one of the “rediscovered classics” of cocktail culture. Its earliest printed appearance is in the Café Royal Cocktail Book (London, 1937).   The name “Lion’s Tail” is sometimes interpreted as referencing the British lion (or “twisting the King’s tail”)—a playful nod to colonial-era sentiment.  Over time the drink fell into relative obscurity, but it was revived in modern cocktail books (e.g. Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails) and by cocktail enthusiasts, especially given its unusual spice-forward twist via pimento/allspice dram. This version, promoted by The Bitter Truth (as part of their recipe collection) solidified a “house standard” for the drink, especially for bars and mixologists using their Pimento Dram.

This cocktail can be made with bourbon or rye. I picked bourbon, but if I was in the mood for something more spicy, I would have picked Rye. The nose has a nice mix of the complex spice notes of the pimento dram, the freshness of the lime and the honey and vanilla from the Buffalo Trace. The drink is complicated, the bourbon and the pimento drink match well, but the lime is the odd flavour out. The balance is not level. But it’s still a nice cocktail and will go well with a medium bodied cigar such as the Raices Cubanas 1941.

And now for the Lion’s Tale Cocktail recipe:
60ml Rye or Bourbon
15ml Bitter Truth Pimento Dram
15ml Lime juice
1 bar spoon simple syrup
1 dash Aromatic Bitters
Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Waikiki Beach

The nose is mild, probably because of the crushed ice. The flavour isn’t muted though. A very refreshing passionfruit flavour backed by cinnamon and dark spices from the pimento dram. Those flavours are enhanced by the Flor de Cana 12 that I used. The lime balances it out, with a light nutty aftertaste of the orgeat. This is an amazing cocktail, right up my alley.  This is a great cocktail with any cigar.

And now for the Waikiki Beach recipe:
60ml Dark Rum
25ml Pimento Dram
30ml Lime juice
60ml Passionfruit syrup
8ml Orgeat
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Rocks glass filled with crushed ice

Nui Nui

Orange and vanilla dominate the nose. There is a reason why orange juice isn’t a much used juice for cocktails. This cocktail shows why, orange juice simply isn’t a great ingredient. It’s not bitter enough to compete with grapefruit, not sweet enough to compete with pineapple and not acidic enough to compete with lime or lemon. In this cocktail it’s the flavour that throws everything off. It masks much of the lime while being so dominant that it covers much of the rum flavours. The pimento dram is completely covered by the other flavours, while it should be the star of the cocktail. The cinnamon is lightly noticeable.

I would not drink this cocktail again, so I won’t pair it with another cigar. But if I would, it would be with a strong Connecticut Broadleaf stick.

And now for the Nui Nui recipe:
45ml White Rum
15ml Dark Rum
15ml Lime juice
15ml Orange juice
8ml Cinnamon syrup
1 barspoon Pimento Dram
1 barspoon Vanilla Syrup
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Blend all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for a few seconds. Pour in a Collins glass and fill with crushed ice.