My first adventure into the craft beer world took place in the early 90’s. Craft beer was vastly different during that period. Finding craft beer was like participating in a speak-easy: known to only a few people and difficult to find.
Luckily the scene is much different today. Good quality beer is much more accessible. As consumers we have the ability to decide where, when, and how to enjoy our beer. My pairing of choice is always a good cigar.
Similar to craft beer, cigars are a handcrafted work of art. They provide a means for satisfaction and relaxation. Many people, interested in learning about cigars, come through our doors at Elite Cigar Café.
Stress can build up and grow if not tackled and can often result in us feeling overwhelmed. Taking time out for yourself is one of the most important things you should do in life, yet many of us are trying to juggle everything else and won’t have any ‘me time’. To deal with this problem just check Budpop.com and find your soution.
Cigars are a combination of three distinct components: filler, binder and wrapper. As the name suggests filler is comprised of the inner most leaves in the cigar. They fill the cigar. Binder is the middle leaf and bind the filler in place. Binder also aids in combustion during smoking. Wrapper is the leaf visible in the cigar. They wrap the binder and filler in place. Being the largest single leaf in a cigar, wrapper provides the majority of flavor in a cigar. Combinations of these components create the flavors and aromas found in cigars.
Our approach to pairings is straightforward. We consider the type wrapper in the cigar and the style of beer. Our outline is divided into style of beer. Each style has three specific pairs. The concept is to pair a cigar with beer that has complimentary flavors and vice versa. As one becomes more comfortable one will notice that cigar categories are as broad as beer categories.
We hope to see you in our humidor at Elite Cigar Café. All of our tobacconists would love to make recommendations. We also hope you come visit our booth at Brewfest September 12.
To help everyone out check out the chart below. However if you have specific questions for pairings not listed, feel free to stop by Elite Cigar Cafe in Addison.
When Laura Bechtol isn’t busy writing articles such as this one, she’ll be at Elite Cigar Cafe where she is the Humidor Manager and possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding cigars.
| Beer Style | Beer Pairing | Cigar Recommendation | Cigar Wrapper |
| Pils & Pales | Revolver – Blood & Honey | My Father – CT | Connecticut
|
| Deep Ellum – Pale Ale | AJ Fernandez – New World CT | ||
| Four Corners – Paletero | Nomad – CT Fuerte | ||
| Belgiums
Tripels, Quads, Saisons |
Boulevard – Tank 7 | Illusione – Epernay | Connecticut
|
| Community – Razzy | Tatuaje – Cabaiguan | ||
| Crown Valley Brewing -Big Bison Ale | Perdomo – Champagne | ||
|
IPAs |
Lakewood – Hop Trapp | Crowned Heads – Angel’s Anvil | Corojo |
| Rabbit Hole – Off With Your Red | Punch – Rare Corojo | ||
| No-Li – Born & Raised | Asylum – 13 | ||
| Community – Mosiac | Crowned Heads – La Imperiosa | Habano
Highest in nicotine content |
|
| Peticolas – Sit Down or I Will Sit You Down | La Palina – Red Label | ||
| Harpoon – UFO White | Crux – Ninfamaniac | ||
| Wheats
Wits, Dunkels, Hefe |
St. Arnold’s – Icon Gold | Illusione – Cristado | Criollo |
| Franconia – Wheat | Kristoff – Criollo | ||
| Lakewood – Rock Ryder | Illusione – Fume de Amor | ||
| Browns
Blonde, Amber, Lager |
Rahr – Ugly Pug | Tatuaje – Regio Reserva | Maduro |
| Peticolas – Alfred Brown | Padron – 1964 | ||
| St. Arnold – Wagger Brown | PDR – 1878 Maduro | ||
| Bocks
German Style |
Shiner Bock | Southern Draw | Sun Grown
|
| Audacity – Repercussion German Alt | Ashton – VSG | ||
| Rabbit Hole – 561 | Arturo Fuente – King B | ||
| Stouts
Oatmeal,Milk, Imperial |
Left Hand Brewing – Nitro Milk Stout | Tatuaje – Gran Cojonu | Broadleaf |
| Lakewood – Temptress | LFD – Chapter 1 | ||
| 903 – Sasquatch | Drew Estates – Liga Privada No. 9 | ||
| Porters
Smoked, English, Imperial |
Community – Ascension Coffee | LFD – Cameroon Chisel | Cameroon |
| Cobra Brewing – Donut Dunker | Oliva – G Series | ||
| Founder’s – Porter | Arturo Fuente – Hemingway | ||
| Strong Ales
Barleywine |
Laguinitas – Olde Gnarlywine | Southern Draw – Fire Thorn | Rosado |
| Peticolas – The Duke | La Palina – El Diario | ||
| Alaskan – Alaskan Barley Wine Pilot | Arturo Fuente – Rosado | ||
| Wilds/ Sours | Prairie Artisan Ales – Cherry Funk | Gun Slinger – Perdition | San Andres |
| Jester King- Le Petit Prince | Illusione – Gigante / Rothschilde | ||
| Lindemans – Cuvee Rene | Drew Estates – Norteno | ||
| Specialty
Barrel-Aged |
Goose Island- Bourbon County | LFD – No. 5 | Oscuro |
| Epic – Big Bad Baptist | CAO – Flathead Steel Horse | ||
| Community – Barrel Aged Legion | PDR – 1878 Oscuro | ||
| Seasonal
|
Real Ale Pale – Moon Rye | Tatuaje – Cojonu 2012 | Sumatra |
| New Holland Brewing – Ichabod Ale | Nomad – S-307 | ||
| Stevens Point Brewery – Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale | Kristoff – Sumatra |
