Non alcoholic drinks to pair with cigars

[ponfed]

Hey guys. 

I've been smoking cigars for 20 years. Some years cheapies, some years a bit more upscale. 

Over the years, I've developed a repertoire of what drinks pair well with what kind of cigars. Port, xeres, wine, whiskys of all sorts, rums... also premium fresh ground coffees

and plain water. 

 

Thing is, I'm now a recovering alcoholic. Creeping up on 1 year now. 

I'd say like 75% to 85% of my drink pairing experience is gone out the window. And to me, cigars are so much better with a complementary drink. 

Water is fine for a bunch of them, but some cigars lost that special taste, or aroma that was underline by this or that drink. 

In all your collected wisdom, what are your favorite non alcoholic pairings with what range of cigars. I'd be interested in what makes them stand out to you.

For example I found that licorice root herbal tea, especially if it's spiced with orange rind and cinnamon, really brings out the sweetness and fruitiness of some RYJ,

So stuff like that. Other people might discover things too!

Thanks!

 

[Bulldog4]

I like dr. Pepper with cigars if im not drink look at it as 23 different combinations to work with a cigar??

[mikeyjb]

I've had a surgery recently so I've had to give up sodas and beers. My usual drinks are either water, tea (English breakfast, Chinese green teas (including puer)), or a diet fruit punch cordial I've found. Boring I know!

[akpreacher]

Root beer is my go to, in fact I’m smoking a good stick and drinking a root beer as I type this!


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[chris12381]

San Pellegrino Limone e Menta is my new thing. It's really refreshing, carbonated, tart and sweet (perfectly balanced) and has a natural mint flavor.  In other words, it pretty much tastes like a virgin mojito in a can. If you can find it, give it a try. 

https://www.sanpellegrinofruitbeverages.com/intl/en/limone-e-menta-223

 

[lestabantam]

Full fat classic Coca Cola goes with almost any cigar in my experience. There are some good non alcoholic beers available in the UK these days, they are nice with a smoke too. Erdinger Alkoholfrei is my favourite. 

[Notsocleaver]

Tea is a pretty underrated cigar pairing. Look at all of tasting notes in cigar reviews and see how they line up with tea flavors. Tons of overlap.

[Shaunster]

The best non alcoholic pairings are either a coffee or a full fat coke IMO! Both suit cigars perfectly.

[luv2fly]

Coffee, Dr. Pepper, or sparkling water with lemon work for me.

[Cayman17]

Coca-Cola for me 

[Stump89]

Coke or root beer always do the trick for me. I've also been drinking iced coffee and that also pairs well, especially for the summer.

[GrouchoMarx]

Nothing like a freshly made double espresso (a touch of sugar please) with a stick.

[irratebass]

Believe it or not I really like apple juice or grape juice paired with my sticks. Give it a try, there is also cream soda too.

[ponfed]

Wow... you guys are awesome. 

Thanks to all of you for these tips, and keep em coming!

You know when you stop drinking, you worry you're not gonna be able to enjoy the finer things.  But you know... 

A lot of these I never tried, some of these I tried, but not exactly. I`ll rectify that.

Keep em coming! 

 

[BrightonCorgi]

First off...  Congratulations on your first sober year!  Good for you.

I am drinker and find sparkling water to be my favorite cigar pairing; with or without alcohol...  Water never fails!  

Beyond that, how about tea?  I would not recommend any soda; diet or not just because soda has zero value and only determent to the body.  

[ponfed]

24 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Beyond that, how about tea?  I would not recommend any soda; diet or not just because soda has zero value and only determent to the body.  

I'm actually starting a Montecarlo and I have with me a freshly brewed iced coffee with cream and a pot of good dark oolong. So trying out a bunch of things from this thread.

Tea is a good avenue to go down I think. I prefer coffee, but I find that it brings up a bitterness with certain cigars. Good thing I'm fairly well acquainted with a whole bunch of good tea!

As far as soda, I think I'll try it, to explore mostly. I'm really not a soda guy, and I never really liked fizzy drinks with cigars, although back then fizzy drinks meant beer. So in the name of experimentation  I'll try most of the combinations on this thread.

I'm really glad I made this thread though.... so far iced coffee is a winner with the PL Montecarlo.

 

[sdlaird]

For me, ginger Ale is a good pairing.  Light complimentary flavors.  Not quite plain soda, not syrupy coke. Iced tea with a generous splash of lemonade is pretty good too.

[Doctorossi]

My fave drink to pair with a cigar is coconut water. It's refreshing and complementary and never steps on what I'm tasting in the cigar.

[joeypots]

Good work on your sobriety. A year is a long time. I like coffee and sparkling water. Non alcoholic beer, I think, is for non alcoholics.

[JGD]

When looking for a non-alcohol pairing, I usually go with carbonated water with lime and a few mint leaves, or black coffee or espresso (usually iced).

[dominattorney]

Try kombucha, though there is residual alcohol in it, I'm not sure if that will suit your needs, but it is usually less than 1% ABV due to fermentation.  A lot of the store bought brands are too sweet--exactly my problem with sodas.  I prefer something without a sugary zing as a pairing.  I like sparking water too, but a good kombucha is also complimentary to some cigar flavor profiles.  Best pairing is H Upmann.

[TNT009]

Iced coffees, lattes, espresso and ginger beer!

[Derboesekoenig]

I've been getting into Amstel non-alcoholic beer. Pairs well 75% of the time...and non-alcoholic because I don't have any alcohol where I am in Afghanistan. I've been trying to stay away from sodas. So coffee always works, as well as tea (prefer whole leaves steeped vs ground/bags), and any kind of fruit juice.

[RDB]

I just tried ginger, lemon and honey tea. Very nice! Bit of bite, bit of palate cleansing acidity, and some sweetness. Good combination with smoke.

[Akela3rd]

Lapsang Soushong tea, but only with strong cigars.

I've only just read your OP - well done, stick with it! I've just done 11 years last week.

Tonic water with lime is also good, not just with cigars but also at the pub/restaurant etc. Better than endless fruit juice or plain water, both of which just get dull.

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Edited August 11, 2018 by Akela3rd