Cigars with Coffee, Beer, and Rum

Bourbon gets most of the attention, but some of the best pairings in a cigar lounge come from the coffee pot or the beer tap. The same basic rule applies to all of them: match the weight of the drink to the weight of the cigar, and let one bring out what the other is missing.

Coffee

Coffee may be the most natural partner a cigar has. Both carry roasted, earthy, and sweet notes, and coffee is the go-to for a morning or afternoon smoke.

• Mild cigars with Connecticut shade wrappers go well with a latte or a medium roast with a little cream.
• Full maduros stand up to espresso or a dark roast taken black.
• A café con leche with a Cuban-style blend is a tradition for good reason.

Beer

Beer works best when you think about its malt and its bitterness.

• Stouts and porters share roasted, chocolate, and coffee notes with dark maduro cigars, which makes this one of the easiest pairings to get right.
• Amber and brown ales have caramel malt that suits medium-bodied cigars with a Habano or Sumatra wrapper.
• Light lagers and pilsners are refreshing with a mild cigar on a hot Oklahoma afternoon, though a strong cigar will overwhelm them.
• Very hoppy IPAs can clash with a peppery cigar, since bitterness and spice tend to stack. Try them with something creamy instead.

Rum

Aged sipping rum and cigars grew up in the same part of the world, and they share a lot. Look for rums meant for sipping, not mixing.

• Lighter aged rums pair well with mild and medium Dominican cigars.
• Rich, dark rums with notes of molasses and dried fruit match up with maduros and fuller Nicaraguan blends.

Without alcohol

You don't need a drink with a proof on it. Sparkling water clears the palate between draws. Cola and root beer bring sweetness that works nicely with a maduro. Even a glass of iced tea is a fine companion on a patio.

How to experiment

Pick one cigar and try it with two different drinks, side by side. You'll learn more from that comparison than from any chart. Tulsa's cigar lounges with full bars make it easy, and many of the shops keep coffee on.