Paring Cigars & Alcohol – Green cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day
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.
Green is more than just a colour
it’s a symbol of nature, renewal, and vibrancy. In the world of cocktails, green drinks often carry the same refreshing energy, instantly standing out with their bold hues and unique flavours. While they’re a visual treat year-round, green cocktails take on special significance during Saint Patrick’s Day, when the colour becomes a global celebration of Irish culture.
At CigarInspector, we’ve spent the past few years curating perfect pairings for this festive occasion, with a strong focus on Irish products like whiskey and stout. This year, however, we’re adding a fresh twist. Instead of the usual, we’re raising a glass to creativity with a lineup of green cocktails—eye-catching, flavour-packed, and perfect for toasting Saint Patrick in style.
Tokyo Tea
The Tokyo version isn’t named after its place of origin, but rather for its distinctive green hue, achieved with the addition of melon liqueur. The most famous melon liqueur is Midori, a Japanese creation crafted from neutral grain spirits, Japanese muskmelons, and the sweet, cantaloupe-like yubari fruit.
The Midori doesn’t do anything on the nose, tequila dominates that. The melon liqueur and tequila are on the forefront and the agave combined with melon isn’t working for me. It’s not offensive either, but it just won’t work. The balance is there, the body is there, the flavours are just off. I would pair this with a strong cigar to overpower the drink.
And now for the Tokyo Tea recipe:
15ml Vodka
15ml Gin
15ml Rum
15ml Midori
15ml Tequila
15ml Triple Sec
30ml Sweet & Sour Mix
Lemon Lime soda to top
Add all ingredients but the Lemon Lime soda to highball. Add ice and stir to mix, chill and dilute. Top with Lemon Lime Soda.
Cobra Verde
Okay, full disclosure, right? Many years ago I bought a bottle of Ancho Reyes, as I was intrigued by the idea of a poblano distilled liquor but I barely use it. So, when I was this recipe, I thought “let’s try this and finish the bottle of Ancho Reyes”.
The nose has a faint melon smell with a hint of the Ancho Reyes. The cocktail is unusual to say the least. The peppers shine through but not the hot part of the peppers, only the green flavour. But there is also a faint melon flavour and it’s all quite tart because of the lemon. I would pair this with a medium bodied cigar with a woody flavour profile.
and now for the Cobra Verde recipe:
1¼ ounces or 37½ml of Midori
½ ounce or 15ml of Ancho Reyes
½ ounce or 15ml of Lemon juice
Aromatic tonic to top
Add all ingredients into a Collins glass over ice and stir.
Midori Sour
The Midori Sour is a true emblem of the 1970s. Its key ingredient was introduced to the United States in 1978 by Suntory, the Japanese company best known for its highly regarded whiskies and beers. Midori made its American debut at Studio 54, the infamous New York nightclub — a fitting stage for such a bright and flamboyant liqueur.
Following its success during the sweet cocktail craze of the 1980s and ’90s, Midori eventually fell out of favour amid the rise of the craft cocktail movement. Recently, however, it has experienced a revival, as bartenders find fresh inspiration in the liqueur’s distinctive flavour and vibrant colour. It is nothing like a classic sour though, no egg white, no dry shake/wet shake.
There isn’t much on the nose with all the ice and the soda water. Just a bit of citrus. I read that this cocktail was quite popular in the disco days, but that must be mainly for the colour as the taste is odd. Citrus with a hint of watermelon, all quite mild as its diluted by the soda, the flavourless vodka and ice. The vodka does give it a little kick though. It’s odd and I would pair this with a strong and peppery cigar to overpower the taste of the cocktail. Plasencia Alma Fuerte, Bolivar Royal Corona, EPC Pledge, cigars with strong and bold flavours.
And now for the Midori Sour recipe:
30ml Vodka
30ml Midori
15ml Lime juice
15ml Lemon juice
Club soda to top
Add the vodka, Midori and juices to a Collins glass with ice. Stir and top up with some club soda.
Cucumber Mint Gimlet
With the bold aroma of mint, you’d expect that it would be the dominant aroma on the nose considering the mint is both in the cocktail and used as a garnish. But lime shines through as well, just like cucumber and the juniper notes of the gin. This is a slightly tart but ‘green’ tasting and balanced cocktail. It’s not too sweet, not too tart, the mint and cucumber give a green and fresh flavour while the juniper and herbal notes of the gin give depth. Pair this with a woody or earthy medium bodied cigar for the best pairing of flavours.
and now for the Cucumber Mint Gimlet recipe:
2 inch of peeled and cubed cucumber
10 mint leaves
7½ml Simple syrup (or agave nectar if you want to go fancy)
15ml Lime juice
45ml Gin
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber, mint and simple syrup until the cucumber offers no more resistance. Fill the shaker with ice, then pour in the lime juice and gin. Put the lid on your shaker and shake until the cocktail is thoroughly chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with a tiny sprig of mint, if you’d like.
