Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Mozart Dark Chocolate

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.

Mozart Dark Chocolate

Mozart Chocolate Liqueur is an Austrian brand renowned for its premium chocolate liqueurs, crafted with a genuine cocoa macerate and available in various flavours such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, and coffee. Produced by Mozart Distilleries in Salzburg, Austria, the brand has been making exceptional chocolate liqueurs for over 50 years.

Instead of relying on artificial flavours or extracts, Mozart uses a true cocoa macerate made from two distinct types of cocoa beans cultivated specifically for the brand. The company offers different liqueurs, but this pairing is about the dark chocolate version. The Mozart Dark Chocolate is a sophisticated liqueur with a balanced blend of sweetness and bitterness, ideal as an after-dinner drink or an ingredient in desserts.

Mozart Chocolate Liqueur can be savoured on its own, added to cocktails, used in cooking and baking, or drizzled over desserts like ice cream for an indulgent touch.

Neat

On the nose this dark chocolate liqueur I get dark chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake and bake one regularly, smelling this liqueur reminds me of baking such a cake and the aromas that fill the kitchen while preparing. The liquid is thick and has a lot of viscosity. The bitterness of the dark chocolate is nice, although If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate you won’t like this at all. There are some smoky and tarty notes as well. It’s rich but dry and has a bit of a chocolate mousse flavour as well. The aftertaste has a nice bitterness with a hint of espresso. This liqueur will go well with a strong and bold cigar as the liqueur has a lot of character.

Dark Chocolate Messino

The garnish is dominant on the nose but with a strong chocolate smell as well. The rum and orange liqueur are completely lost on the nose. The orange is very noticeable in the cocktail itself though, cutting through the thick and strong dark chocolate, giving it some necessary refreshment. The rum brings some sweetness and depth. It’s the best of the Mozart cocktails I drank. I smoked a lancero by Casdagli with this drink and that was a perfect combination.

And now for Dark Chocolate Messino recipe:
40ml Dark Chocolate liqueur
20ml Orange liqueur
10ml Dark rum
Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass, filled with ice cubes. Strain the cocktail over ice cubes into a Tumbler. Top with an orange wedge.

Chocolate Old Fashioned

There is orange on the nose with a hint of dark chocolate and caramel. The cocktail is quite interesting. I taste dark chocolate, espresso with caramel sweetness and a hint of apple. It’s a nice and simple desert cocktail, perfect after a good meal but I would not drink this later at night. The chocolate is too strong for that. A strong, bold, peppery cigar would be the best pairing for this cocktail. For the Cuban smokers, pick a Bolivar, for the non Cuban smokers I would look at the Don Pepin Garcia black or blue series, or many of the A.J. Fernandez blends with lots of pepper.

And now for the Chocolate Old Fashioned recipe:
50ml Bourbon
20ml Dark Chocolate liqueur
5ml Simple syrup
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass, filled with ice cubes. Strain the cocktail over ice cubes into a Tumbler. Top with an orange peel.

Chocolate Rum Sour

Dark chocolate is dominant on the nose. There isn’t anything else. But the lemon is there in the flavour and quite strong, with some bitter dark chocolate on the back. The rum gets completely lost. This is an odd, and to be honest not very nice, cocktail. It is very confusing on where it wants to go. I’m struggling to come up with a suggestion for a cigar because I really can’t think of anything that will go well. So if I really have to, I would go for something very strong, bold and peppery just to overpower the cocktail.

and now for the Chocolate Rum Sour recipe:
30ml Dark Chocolate liqueur
30ml Dark rum
22½ml Lemon juice
15ml Simple syrup
Shake all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice cubes. Strain the cocktail over ice cubes into a Tumbler. Top with a lemon slice.

Chocolate Espresso Highball

Sometimes you see a cocktail recipe and you understand where the creator of the cocktail is going. But this Chocolate Espresso Highball is not one of those. The Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur and espresso make sense, but then tonic comes in and that puzzles me. It creates a big fizzy layer on top of the cocktail.

On the nose there are notes from dark chocolate, cacao, espresso. After the first sip, it is still not clear to me where this cocktail is going. The tonic adds a sour note to the cocktail but also waters down the pleasantly bitter notes of the liqueur and the espresso, turning it into a forgettable concoction. A medium bodied cigar with a corojo wrapper, due to its nutty flavour profile, would be my recommendation.

and now for the Chocolate Espresso Highball recipe:
30ml Dark Chocolate liqueur
1 shot espresso
Tonic to top
Shake all the liqueur and espresso in a shaker with ice. Strain into a tumbler, add tonic and spray some lemon oil on top.