Ever thought about pairing your cigar with Pink Gin?

[JohnS]

Ever thought about pairing your cigar with Pink Gin? No? Well, neither have I. Then again, umm...I don't know, I forgot what I was about to add. Just read the article below and feel free to comment!

Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Gordon’s Pink Gin

Date: August 2024 - Author: Inspector X

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 used to have the Diplomatico series but Mombacho no longer exists. 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 whisky, gin, rum, vodka and liquors.

Gordon’s Pink Gin

Drawing inspiration from an original Gordon’s recipe dating back to the 1880s, Gordon’s Pink is meticulously crafted to harmonize the refreshing essence of Gordon’s with the inherent sweetness of raspberries and strawberries, complemented by the tang of redcurrant, all presented in a distinctive blushing hue. Utilizing only natural fruit flavours ensures the utmost quality, delivering an authentic berry taste experience.

Neat

The nose is all about berries, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry. It reminds me a lot of jam, berry jam because of the sweetness too. There is a hint of lemon as well. The gin has juniper upfront, but with a lot of sweetness and some artificial fruit flavours. Raspberry, red currant and other berries. Smooth and very sweet. Not something I would drink straight and if I would, I’d pair it with something medium in strength and I would stay away from cigars with a sweet profile.

Gin & Tonic

Online sources write that this gin isn’t very useful in cocktails with the exception of two: Gin Rickey and the Gin & Tonic. That is good, as I always make a Gin & Tonic when I try a new gin for these alcohol and cigar pairings. So I grabbed my Copa glass, poured the gin and the tonic with plenty of ice and here are my thoughts.

The berries are still dominating the nose. The drink has a slight pink hue. The berry flavours are still dominant, but the sweetness is toned down by the 120ml of Tonic. This is the most fruity Gin & Tonic I made so far for CigarInspector and it’s very pleasant, especially on a hot summer day. It reminds me of old school classic popsicles with a berry flavour. And I think this can work with a nice peppery cigar, medium to medium full. Something like the New World Dorado by A.J. Fernandez for example.

And now for the gin tonic recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml of gin

4 ounces or 120ml of Tonic water

Fill a Copa or Collins glass with ice.
Add the gin, then the tonic and stir gently.

Breakfast Martini

The concept for the Breakfast Martini was conceived by London bartender Salvatore Calabrese, who was inspired by his wife’s suggestion to enjoy some toast and marmalade one morning. Implementing this idea, he crafted the cocktail while working at the Library Bar at the Lanesborough Hotel, thus giving rise to what is now considered a modern classic.

The nose is clearly orange, but that’s no surprise with both orange marmalade and orange liqueur as ingredients. There is some fruity juniper as well. I can see why this is called a breakfast martini as it tastes a bit like a glass of orange juice, but with a bite from the gin, extra citrus from the lemon and depth because of the juniper and botanicals of the gin. This is very nice, very flavourful and I already know that the rest of the jar of orange marmalade won’t be used on toast but in more of these cocktails. Because of the citrus, I would go for a stronger cigar with a hearty flavour profile such as wood and earthy flavours. I paired this with an Enclave Broadleaf from A.J. Fernandez and that was a perfect pairing. But for the lovers of Cubans, go for Bolivar, Cohiba, Partagas, Montecristo and you won’t be dissatisfied.

And now for the Breakfast Martini recipe:
1½ ounce or 45ml of gin

½ ounce or 15ml of orange liqueur
¾ ounce or 22½ml of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 bar spoon of orange marmalade
Add the gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and marmalade into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a lemon peel

Inspector X

Source: https://www.cigarinspector.com/cigar-library/pairing-cigars-alcohol-gordons-pink-gin/

[EasternPromises]

I’ve cut back on my drinking lately and so I often have a sloe gin and soda with my cigars. Sloe gin has a fairly low alcohol % - something in the realm of 15%. Not a bad pairing.