A Guide to Pairing Beer and Cigars

First things first: beer and cigars make a fantastic combination. While cigars and whiskey may be the more traditional pairing, beer and cigars also share similar nuanced flavor profiles. Here, we’ll explore the different types of beer and cigars and provide a quick, easy pairing guide for your reference. In addition, we’ll give some specific recommendations for cigars that pair well with beer. 

Does beer go with cigars?

Short answer: yes!

The key to pairing a premium cigar with a fantastic beer is finding the sweet spot where your cigar's strength and flavor profile align with the strength and flavor profile of your beer.

In general, we recommend following this pairing guide:

• Pair more mellow cigars with lighter, smoother-flavored beers. 

  • Example: Connecticut Shade Cigars and lagers.

• Pair a medium to full-bodied cigar with medium to deep amber beers and less intense IPAs. 

  • Example: A Habano or Sun-Grown Cigar and a pale ale.

• Pair a full-bodied cigar with hoppy IPAs, darker beers, and stouts. 

  • Example: Maduros or Oscuros with stouts.

What beers go best with cigars?

Again, pretty much all of them. We recommend pairing light with light and dark with dark, but — as with any pairing guide, exceptions abound. But enough preamble, here are a few of our favorite cigar and beer combinations.

Lager: Punch Knuckle Buster Shade

If you’re looking for one cigar brand that is ideal for enjoying with beer, then look no further than Punch. Punch has unique beer pairings for all of their cigars, and to kick off our list, we’re going with a classic: Knuckle Buster Shade and American lager. Rated 90 by Cigar Aficionado, this smooth and creamy cigar pairs wonderfully with a 6-pack of your favorite crushable beer. 

Amber: Camacho Corojo

Ambers, brown ales, and Marzens have lots of rich and nuanced flavors, so it only makes sense to pair them with a tobacco that’s equally complex. Enter: Camacho Corojo. This highly-rated fan-favorite is packed with exquisite Corojo tobacco that balances out the nutty sweetness of an amber ale perfectly. 

Hefeweizen: Macanudo Ecuadorian Shade

Light, crisp, and just a little sweet. That accurately describes both a traditional German Hefeweizen and the new Macanudo Ecuadorian Shade. Approachable and ideal for a sunny day, this combo is a great call for hosting a party or event. 

IPA: Leaf by Oscar Sumatra

You’re not afraid of a little flavor, are you? IPAs bring a ton of fruity, hoppy, and sharp tasting notes to the party, and we like to pair our favorite IPAs with an eccentric, but renowned offering from Oscar Valladares. Don’t be fooled by the rustic presentation: Leaf by Oscar Sumatra is a premium delight bursting with notes of citrus and pepper — a tremendous complement to an IPA. 

Stout/Porter: Ashton Aged Maduro

Ah, the dark stuff. For big, rich, sweet, and bold flavors, reach for a stout and a maduro combo. For our last pick, we’re going with a certified legend: the Ashton Aged Maduro. This Dominican dynamo is powered by a chocolatey-smooth Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. You can’t go wrong with a cigar of this quality.

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