Cigars and alcohol. Two luxury products that go hand in hand, and sometimes even meet on business level. Aging tobacco in whisky, rum, or cognac barrels is a practice several brands do to achieve extra flavour to the wrapper for certain lines. The famous bourbon brand Maker’s Mark has their own cigar, sold in tubes with the signature wax coating. Drew Estate works with Pappy van Winkle and used to make Kahlua cigars. Mombacho has the Diplomatico series. General Cigars works with Sazerac, which resulted in Fireball cigars, Weller by Cohiba and collaborations with Buffalo Trace. And there is the Diesel Whisky Row, a collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries. Fratello Cigars also sells craft beer. Most famous are probably the Cuban collaboration between Martell Cognac and Cohiba. Dominique London, the European retailer with more than 20 shops in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and the Canary Islands takes it one step further. They bought a distillery in Wales and produce gin, rum, vodka and liquors, and bottle whisky. They were kind enough to sponsor Cigar Inspector with samples so we can write about pairings.
Y Bét Rose Double Beet Premium Welsh Vodka
The Y Bét Premium Welsh Vodka has a sister with the nickname Double Beet. Where the original is made with sugar beet, the Y Bét Rose Double Beet Premium Welsh Vodka is made with sugar beet and beetroot, explaining the name and the colour of the spirit. Just like the original, this vodka is distilled in the copper pot stills of the Snowdonia distillery with Welsh elements. The sweetness of the sugar beet and the boldness of the beetroot are magical and let to a silver award at the London Spirits Competition 2022 and at the World Vodka Awards in the category of flavoured vodkas.
Vodka is not a drink I prefer to drink neat, for me it is an ingredient for a cocktail and nothing more. Yet for the sake of pairing, I will try it neat. On the nose it’s strong, alcohol forward but a bit sweeter than an unflavoured vodka. And that’s also how it tastes, as a clear spirit with some floral sweetness. If you enjoy vodka neat, this might be a drink for you paired with a full-bodied cigar such as the Aging Room Quatro Nicaragua or a Bolivar Royal Corona.
Vesper
The cocktail looks nice with the rose vodka, it has a light pink hue. There is a slightly fruity aroma, but the shape of the glass makes the aroma fade quickly. The double sugar beet makes this cocktail sweeter than the other versions I tried, but it’s still a very alcohol forward cocktail and not my favourite to be honest. But since I need a base line for all the vodka articles, and I picked the vesper I have to endure. It’s just basically an enhanced gin with a little kick of the vodka.
With the extra sweetness I would not go for a sweet cigar. And with the power of the alcohol, I would not pick something mild. It needs an earthy full flavoured full-bodied cigar. Maybe an Encore Majestic from Ernesto Perez Carrillo or a classic Montecristo No.2. Or a CLE the first 20 years if you want to smoke a great Honduran cigar with this cocktail.
And now for the Vesper recipe:
3 ounces or 90 ml of Foragers Yellow Label Gin
1 ounce of 30 ml of Y Bét Rose Double Beet Premium Welsh Vodka
½ ounce of Lillet Blanc
Lemon peel for garnish
Put all the ingredients, minus the lemon peel, with some ice in your shaker and shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Double strain into a martini glass or a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Caipirovska
This is an interesting looking cocktail, the lime and the golden granulated sugar give it a light golden hue, then the slight pink hue of the vodka turns it a little deeper in colour but when the crushed ice starts to melt, the cocktail turns completely clear again. On the nose it’s mostly just lime that can be detected. Taste wise, it’s sweet and tangy, which is not a surprise with sugar and lime, and it has a kick from the vodka which is the only liquid component in this cocktail. It’s refreshing and honestly, add some mint and it is a vodka mojito although slightly less tart than a mojito and that makes it easier to pair with a cigar. Any medium bodied or stronger cigar would do, just not something with lots of sweetness as the vodka already has sweetness and the cocktail adds more sweetness in the shape of granulated sugar. The more the cocktail dilutes, the easier it is to drink and the more friendly it gets to the cigar you’re smoking. I was pairing it with an Alec Bradley Fine & Rare 2021 and that was a delight.
And now for the Caipirovska recipe:
1 lime
2 teaspoons golden granulated sugar
2 ounces or 60ml of Y Bét Rose Vodka
Cut 1 lime into small chunks, then put it into the bottom of a sturdy tumbler and add 2 tsp golden granulated sugar. Crush really well with a muddler – or do this with a pestle and mortar. Top up the tumbler with crushed ice then add 50ml vodka. Stir well to mix all of the ingredients together and serve.
Black Russian
This cocktail looks like a dark whisky, or a watered-down coke depending on who you ask. It has a nice amber colour and a nice coffee aroma with some vanilla. It tastes like boozy ice coffee with a bit of a bite afterwards. While most of the cocktails I drink turn out to be summer drinks, this is a cocktail perfect for colder weather. I can see myself in front of a fireplace with this drink and a nice medium bodied cigar with woody notes such as the Flor de las Antillas or Antigua Estelí/Segovia’s de Estelí. A Casa magna Colorado would be nice as well, or a Juan Lopez from Cuba.
And now for the Black Russian recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml of Y Bét Rose Double Beet Premium Welsh Vodka
1 ounce or 30ml of Marsette Monsoon Coffee liqueur
Add vodka and coffee liqueur into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
‘Inspector X’
