Many smokers enjoy lighting up at the end of a long day but don’t know much about what drink they can pair their tobacco with. Finding the right combinations can be tricky even for the most experienced smokers, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with wine, beer, and other types of alcohol. Fortunately, it isn’t as hard as it seems to find the right drinks to go with the tobacco products of your choice, and some basic rules can help you find the right match for almost anything. If you’re a smoker, keep reading to learn the basics of pairing tobacco with drinks.
What are some high-quality tobacco products?
While anyone can walk down to the corner store and buy a pack of cigarettes, many people prefer to elevate their smoking experiences. There are a number of tobacco products to experiment with beyond cigarettes, like cigars, wraps, and pipe tobacco. Finding high-quality products can be difficult since there are so many tobacco brands, which is why you should take the time to do some research and find the products that you’ll actually enjoy.
If you’re been smoking cigarettes for a while, you may want to try smoking pipe tobacco. You can find a variety of interesting blends with strong flavors. You can find both mentholated blends and those that don’t contain menthol and make use of a spectrum of other tastes and spices. You can also make use of products like leaf wraps to enhance your smoking experience. These Al Capone wraps can be perfect for a relaxing night in by the fire with a glass of wine.
If you have any health conditions, are pregnant, or are taking prescription medication, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before using tobacco products. Your doctor can tell you more about how they may impact your health or interact with your medications.
How should you pair your tobacco with drinks?
Many people want to know what tobacco product or blend would go best with their favorite wine or American light lager. A light lager generally refers to a lighter version of a brewery’s premium lager. While some of these beers have a lower alcohol content, many are just as strong as premium beer but contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. When consuming American light beer, many tobacco experts recommend a cigar with a mellow flavor and notes of citrus or vanilla.
Generally, as your beer style trends get darker, you should look for cigars and tobacco blends that offer a deeper flavor and more medium-bodied smoke. The malt flavor of a darker lager will often pair well with something that has both sweet and earthy notes. Red wine also goes well with a medium-bodied smoke.
White wine is more delicate, and a cigar with a bitter taste may provide a poor mouthfeel. Something mild with hints of cinnamon spice or coffee is your best bet if you want a great pairing for your favorite chardonnay. It’s important to find a tobacco product that won’t overpower the sweetness but still complements the oak flavor.
It can be enjoyable to pair a cigar with a cold glass of beer or a freshly opened bottle of wine, but finding the right pairings can take some trial and error if you don’t know what you’re doing. There is a lot of flavor diversity in both alcohol and tobacco, so much so that newer smokers may be surprised by their versatility. As long as you stick to the basic rule of pairing bitter drinks with a tobacco blend that can stand up to the strong flavor and using smoother smokes for more delicate drinks, you’re likely to enjoy the experience next time you sit down to relax.