Drinks that Complement Cigars Spirits and wine provide an ideal marriage with a premium hand-rolled cigar. Your choice of beverage depends on personal taste, but it can vary according to the occasion. Sometimes what you want with your after-dinner cigar is the full-bodied, slightly sweet taste of a vintage Port; or maybe you want the palate-cleansing sharpness of an aged Cognac.

Port Port is a traditional partner for a great cigar. The sweetness and alcoholic power of vintage Port blends perfectly with a full-bodied smoke; even younger vintage Ports are appropriate because their strong tannins stand up to a spicy smoke. Nonvintage styles such as tawny Port also complement a cigar nicely because of the woody characteristics they acquire during long barrel aging.

Cognac The most popular traditional drink with fine cigars is Cognac or brandy. French Cognacs have solid cores of vanilla and sweet flavors derived from long years of oak-barrel aging. The crisp, clean flavors of the distilled wine keep the palate alive for the smooth, spicy flavors of a hand-rolled cigar. American brandies are often slightly fruitier, but display the same complex flavors that come with barrel aging. Spanish brandies are usually deeper in color and often have a sweet, smoky component that enhances a cigar.

Bourbon/Scotch In the world of spirits, small batch and single barrel Bourbons and single malt Scotches are superpremium products that have the complexity and depth of flavor to stand up to a cigar. The smoky quality of a fine single malt, derived from the smoked peat used to filter the spirit, marries perfectly with a good cigar. The small batch Bourbons are bottled at a higher proof level, which gives them a backbone of strong flavors, and they marry well with medium- and full-bodied cigars. Kentucky straight Bourbons and Tennessee whisky, although often a bit lighter, also mix well with cigars because of the charred wood flavors that turn the liquors dark brown. Aged rums, with their slightly sweet profile and burned molasses flavors, can smooth out a cigar.

Wine Complementary wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, both from California and Bordeaux, and Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. The latter have spicy flavors, including pepper.