Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Red cocktails
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.
Make some of these red cocktails, make some of the blue cocktails and white cocktails from our previous articles and have yourself a fantastic 4th of July.
Red cocktails
Looking to turn heads and elevate the moment? A red cocktail is your go-to for making a bold, stylish statement. With its vibrant hue and striking presence, a red drink doesn’t just set the mood—it owns it. Whether you’re marking a romantic evening, lighting up at a special event, or just kicking back in good company, a red cocktail brings a sense of celebration to the glass.
But don’t be fooled—these drinks are far more than just eye candy. From the bitter complexity of a Negroni to the tart pop of a cherry-forward spritz, red cocktails span the flavor spectrum. They pair surprisingly well with cigars, too, complementing everything from creamy Connecticuts to bold maduros. So whether you’re after a deep, rich pour or a refreshing burst of flavor, red is more than a color—it’s an attitude. And right now? Red is having its moment. Here are some red cocktails to pair with your cigars.
Sex on the Beach
The Sex on the Beach cocktail is as famous for its provocative name as it is for its refreshing taste. This popular drink combines vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice, and crème de cassis, resulting in a fruity and vibrant mix. The cocktail gained immense popularity in the 1980s and is often considered a blend of two other well-known drinks: the Fuzzy Navel (peach schnapps and orange juice) and the Cape Codder (vodka and cranberry juice).
The exact origins of the Sex on the Beach remain a bit of a mystery. One popular story attributes its creation to a Florida bartender in 1987, who supposedly invented the drink as part of a promotion by a liquor company to boost sales of peach schnapps. However, this theory is disputed by evidence that the cocktail had already been documented in the 1982 American Bartenders School Guide to Drinks. This suggests that the cocktail was in circulation well before the Florida tale, making its true origins uncertain. Despite the ambiguity, the Sex on the Beach has remained a staple in bars around the world, beloved for its sweet and tangy flavour and its fun, playful name.
On the nose, this cocktail is juicy, the orange and the grapefruit dominate the nose. But then again, no surprise right as the vodka does not have any aroma. This cocktail is a popsicle in a glass. Sweet, cold, fruity, pleasant. A little too sweet maybe but counter that with a heavy cigar with a coffee, earthy, nutty or woody character and you’ll be on the right track. The peach and raspberry from both liqueurs are a perfect blend and go well with the more tart flavours of the citrus. I smoked an aged Nicarao Exclusivo which was given to me by Didier Houvenaghel himself and it was bliss.
And now for the Sex on the beach recipe:
1½ ounce or 45ml of Vodka
½ ounce or 15ml of Chambord or crème de cassis
½ ounce or 15ml of Peach liqueur (I used peach tree)
1½ ounce or 45ml of Orange juice
1½ ounce or 45ml of Cranberry juice
1/3 ounce or 10ml of Rich simple syrup
Add the vodka, peach schnapps, Chambord (if using), orange juice and cranberry juice to a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice and garnish with an umbrella
Bloody Mary
The Bloody Mary is one of the most iconic cocktails, renowned for its ability to revive even the most sluggish mornings. While its exact origins remain uncertain, one prominent theory traces its creation back to the mid-1930s with Fernand “Pete” Petiot, a bartender at the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis Hotel, New York City. Another claim attributes the cocktail to American actor George Jessel, who was said to enjoy vodka and tomato juice at New York’s 21 Club. However, Petiot contested Jessel’s involvement in the drink’s creation.
Despite the ambiguity surrounding its origins, the Bloody Mary has cemented its place as a classic and a trailblazer in the realm of savoury cocktails. Its complex and adaptable nature has led to countless variations, sparking endless debate over what constitutes the perfect Bloody Mary.
The nose gets the aroma from the tomato juice and the lime wedge. And that worries me, as I don’t like tomato juice. I love ketchup and tomato based pasta sauces, but tomato juice has always been something I disliked. This drink is salty, savoury, with depth but not to my liking. It lacks sweetness and that’s why I would go for a full bodied Connecticut Broadleaf cigar again.
and now for the Bloody Mary recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml of Vodka
4 ounces or 120ml of Tomato juice
2 teaspoons of prepared horseradish
2 dashes of Tabasco
2 dashes of Worchester Sauce
1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of smoked paprika
1 pinch of celery salt
1 lemon wedge
1 lime wedge
Rim the glass with some celery salt. Squeeze the lime and the lemon in a shaker, add all other ingredients including a pinch of celery salt. Shake and strain into a Collins glass. Garnish with parsley sprig, 2 speared green olives, a lime wedge and a celery stalk
Clover Club
The Clover Club is a cocktail with deep roots, tracing back to the late 1800s and the elegant Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. It was the signature sip of a distinguished social club made up of lawyers, writers, and industry leaders who gathered to debate the issues of the day—always with a good drink in hand. Their cocktail of choice? A delicate yet vibrant mix of gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and silky egg white: the Clover Club.
Though it shone brightly before Prohibition, the Clover Club faded into obscurity for much of the 20th century. But classics never stay forgotten for long. With a little help from modern cocktail culture—especially its inclusion in Gary Regan’s Joy of Mixology—the drink began making its way back into bars and hearts alike. Its comeback was truly cemented in 2008 when acclaimed bartender Julie Reiner opened a Brooklyn bar named in the cocktail’s honor. Fittingly, the Clover Club has held its rightful place on the menu ever since.
The nose is a beautiful mix of the lemon and sweetness from the raspberry syrup. There is a hint of juniper as well. The egg white makes the cocktail thick and creamy. The sweetness is balanced by the citrus from the lemon juice and the juniper from the gin. The cocktail is balanced and complex, very nice and neither too sweet nor too sour. This will go well with a lot of cigars, but if I would pair this with a Cuban, I would probably go for the Romeo y Julieta Linea de Oro or the Ramon Allones #3. For non-Cubans, pick something medium bodied and you’ll do fine. Maybe a Lampert 1675 or a nice Skull 77.
And now for the Clover Club recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml of Gin
½ ounce or 15ml of Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
½ ounce or 15ml of Raspberry Syrup *
1 egg white
Garnish: 3 raspberries
Add all the ingredients into a shaker without ice and shake vigorously to emulsify the egg. Then add ice and shake until well chilled. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with three speared raspberries.
*Raspberry syrup: Add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a pot. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to low, add 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, and macerate into a pulp. Fine-strain to remove the berry’s tiny seeds. Optionally, add 1/2 oz vodka as a preservative. Refrigerate in a jar until ready for use.
Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling is a gin-based cocktail originating from Singapore, famously associated with the Raffles Hotel. Believed to have been created between 1899 and 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at the hotel’s Long Bar, it was initially known as the Gin Sling. Some accounts suggest Ngiam designed the drink to resemble fruit juice, making it socially acceptable for women to consume alcohol in public. However, historian David Wondrich argues that the cocktail dates back to the 1890s and wasn’t linked to Raffles until the 1920s.
The exact original recipe remains uncertain, as it was lost after the 1930s when the hotel ceased serving it. Cocktail historian D.A. Embury noted that no two published recipes were identical. A 1936 visitor’s note helped reconstruct the modern version, which The Times described as a mix of gin, cherry brandy, and orange, pineapple, and lime juices.
Despite variations in its recipe, the Singapore Sling remains a signature drink at Raffles Hotel. The Long Bar serves between 800 and 1,200 slings daily, with the cocktail generating approximately S$15 million in annual revenue—accounting for 70% of the bar’s total earnings. And this is probably the reason why Singapore is in the top three countries for Benedictine consumption.
This cocktail is beautifully balanced. It has fruity flavours to make it tropical and complex with just enough gin to add a spirituous bite. I would pair this with a nice medium bodied Dominican cigar. The Buffalo Ten by Artista Cigars for example.
and now for the Singapore Sling recipe:
45ml London Dry gin
15ml Cherry brandy
7½ml Benedictine
2½ml Grenadine
45ml Pineapple juice
15ml Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a sling glass. Garnish with pineapple and a cherry.
