Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Meridian Brandy
Cigars and fine liquor complement each other beautifully. Together, they enhance depth, richness, and enjoyment.
Some cigar makers go further by ageing tobacco in liquor barrels. This process adds distinctive flavour notes. The result is a more complex and engaging smoking experience.
Over the years, many collaborations have emerged between cigar and liquor brands. Maker’s Mark, for example, offers cigars in their famous red wax-sealed tubes. Drew Estate has partnered with Pappy Van Winkle and once made cigars flavoured with Kahlua. General Cigars teamed up with Sazerac to release Fireball cigars, Weller by Cohiba, and Buffalo Trace blends.
Diesel’s Whisky Row series, in collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries, shows how this relationship continues to evolve. Each blend reflects the character of the spirit it’s paired with.
Even Cuban cigars have embraced this concept. Cohiba joined forces with Martell Cognac to create a luxurious pairing. In Europe, Dominique London took it a step further. The retailer acquired a Welsh distillery to produce whisky, rum, and gin specifically for their cigars.
These partnerships celebrate craftsmanship, flavour, and tradition. They also give cigar lovers new ways to explore their passion. With every new release, the bond between fine tobacco and fine liquor grows stronger.
Meridian Brandy: Thailand’s Everyday Brandy with a Smooth, Local Character
Meridian Brandy is a popular Thai spirit known for its smooth taste and affordability. It’s widely enjoyed across the country.
Produced in Thailand, Meridian is a locally distilled brandy made from fermented fruits and aged to achieve a mellow, easy-drinking profile. Though it lacks the prestige of French cognacs, Meridian offers a satisfying alternative at a fraction of the price.
Thais often drink it with soda or cola, especially during casual gatherings and local celebrations. It’s also a frequent sight at karaoke bars, village parties, and roadside restaurants. Its sweet aroma and gentle warmth make it accessible even to those new to brandy.
While it’s mostly consumed domestically, travellers sometimes encounter Meridian while exploring Thailand’s more local drinking scenes. It represents a side of Thai drinking culture that values simplicity, affordability, and shared enjoyment.
Meridian Brandy may not carry international acclaim, but it remains a fixture in Thai liquor cabinets. With its easy character and everyday appeal, it reflects the unpretentious spirit of Thai social life.
Neat
The nose is very pleasant. Sweet and fruity with light notes of black pepper and cloves. The sweetness reminds me of plum and cherry. This brandy is quite interesting. It’s rounded and soft, but not the smoothest, there is still a bit of a bite. The brandy gives fruity notes with a caramel and honey sweetness, while the finish has some black pepper and dark spices. I would pair this with a stronger yet sweeter cigar as you’ll need the strength to stand up to the Meridian and sweetness will balance the drink with the cigar.
The Cruise
Drawing from the MERIDIAN V.S.O.P. unique characteristic of pineapple, the Cruise is a secret recipe derived from the famous Sidecar Cocktail, a classic cocktail first serves at the Ritz Carlton in Paris in the early 1900s. In this recipe pineapple and ginger syrup is added to the traditional Sidecar recipe, the result is a slight tangy refreshing gem.
Often sugared rims on cocktails are just for show but in this case, it serves a purpose. The nose is already very lemony, and the flavour is too. With added heat from the ginger. The fruity flavour comes mostly from the pineapple juice; the dry curacao doesn’t add much to the taste of the cocktail but does help with the mouthfeel. This needs an earthy, strong, cigar to stand up against all the citrus of this cocktail. It’s a nice refreshing cocktail but not very suitable to pair with a cigar.
And now for the The Cruise recipe:
45ml Meridian Brandy
15ml Dry Curacao
30ml Pineapple Juice
20ml Lemon Juice
5ml Ginger Syrup
Castor suger
Start by prepare the glass by crusting the rim of a coupe glass with fine castor sugar: moisten the rim with lemon juice and dip it into a saucer filled with castor sugar. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake then strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a large spiral of lemon inside the rim of the glass.
Meridian Orange Spice
A warming, aromatic brandy cocktail with citrus and spice. The nose is all about orange and the cinnamon of the garnish. The honey syrup adds a nice, subtle sweetness but the Meridian does not pair well with the orange juice. There is a slightly bitter note. This will pair well with a stronger and peppery Nicaraguan powerhouse.
And now for the Meridian Orange Spice recipe:
60ml Meridian Brandy
30ml Orange Juice
15ml Honey Syrup
2 dashes of Orange Bitters
Cinnamon Stick
Place a rocks glass in the freezer or fill with ice to chill. In a shaker, combine brandy, orange juice, honey syrup, and bitters with ice. Shake well. Strain Into the chilled glass over a large ice cube. Twist the orange peel over the drink to express oils, then drop it in. Add the cinnamon stick as a stirrer (it’ll infuse gently as you sip).
