Best Gin Cocktail & Cigar Pairings

Gin is an integral ingredient in many famous cocktails. Gin cocktails often complement warmer weather perfectly because they are crisp, refreshing, and chilled. Although dark spirits are often the first we think of when reaching for a cigar, a cool and exhilarating sip of a classic gin drink can’t be beat on sweltering summer day. After you’ve got the backyard hammock nailed up, here are eight classic gin cocktails you can count on enjoying with a perfect cigar to match.

1.  Classic Martini & Ashton Cabinet

Cadenhead’s Old Raj Red Label Gin is an excellent selection to mix up a Classic Martini. A measure of saffron complements a complex recipe of botanicals, including coriander, smoked paprika, juniper, pink peppercorn, almonds, and orange peel. Ice, gin, and dry vermouth are mixed and welcome the plunge of a few olives. We’ll leave the stir-versus-shake debate in your court. But we promise, an Ashton Cabinet is a classic partner for a Classic Martini with its silky Dominican profile of smoked almonds, cedar, and spices with a touch of sweetness around the edges.

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ oz. Gin, frozen
• ¾ oz. Dry vermouth
• 1 dash Orange bitters

Garnish: 3 Olives

Glass: Cocktail

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with olives.

2.  Vesper & Fuente Fuente Opus X

Tanqueray No. 10 delivers a crisp burst of citrus and a sharp juniper zest that comes off as bright and balanced in the iconic Vesper recipe of gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc, finished with a lemon twist. Dried fruit, figs, and pronounced spices sparkle with smoky intrigue in the ultra-rare Fuente Fuente Opus X. An exclusive selection of binder, filler, and wrapper leaves is cultivated by Carlito Fuente on the world-renowned Chateau de la Fuente estate in the Dominican Republic. A Tanqueray-based Vesper and Opus X tango equally in a posh night club or on the beach at sunset.

Ingredients

• 3 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Vodka
• ½ oz. Lillet Blanc

Garnish: Lemon twist

Glass: Cocktail

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist a slice of lemon peel over the drink, coat the rim, and drop it in.

3.  Negroni & My Father Le Bijou 1922

The crisp simplicity and juniper-forward profile in Beefeater London Dry Gin delivers a pronounced citrus note that cuts through equal doses of Compari and sweet vermouth found in a Negroni. Large ice cubes and an orange peel garnish complete this classic drink with an uncomplicated touch. Stark spices and savory notes of leather and dark chocolate blend in a potent smoke in the 97-rated My Father Le Bijou 1922. Award-winning cigar maker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia created Le Bijou from an intense recipe of vintage all-Nicaraguan tobaccos, including an oily Oscuro wrapper leaf. Because My Father Le Bijou and a Negroni stand so brazenly on their own, together they are a force to be reckoned with.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Sweet vermouth

Garnish: Orange peel

Glass: Rocks

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with large cubes. Garnish with an orange peel.

4.  Corpse Reviver No. 2 & La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

Set the stage for a séance. Ten out of ten bartenders reach for Tanqueray before the rigor mortis sets in when they’re bringing a patron back from the dead with a Corpse Reviver No. 2. The clean, citrusy zest of Tanqueray Gin is a genuine guest in a cocktail that includes Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and of course, absinthe. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is a befitting benefactor with an ample profile of cracked black pepper, almonds, and a dark and creamy finish drawn from an oily San Andrés wrapper and an aged interior of all-Nicaraguan tobaccos.

Ingredients

• ¾ oz. Gin
• ¾ oz. Cointreau
• ¾ oz. Lillet Blanc
• ¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice

Glass: Coupe or martini

Preparation: Rinse a chilled coupe or martini glass with absinthe and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into the prepared glass.

5.  Hanky Panky & Padron 1964 Anniversary

The floral and fruit-forward flavor of Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin lays a brisk foundation in the bitter profile of a Hanky Panky with its chilled mixture of sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca, adorned with an orange peel. A Hanky Panky embraces the celebrated taste of Padron 1964 Anniversary thanks to a premium aged marriage of all-Nicaraguan tobaccos. Notes of cedar, cayenne, cinnamon, and cocoa emerge with exquisite aroma.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Gin
• 1 ½ oz. Sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Fernet-Branca

Garnish: Orange Twist

Glass: Cocktail

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

6.  Tuxedo No. 2 & Ashton VSG

The Botanist Gin loads a bouquet of summer flowers with hints of coconut, apple, mint, and wild thistles into a chilled glass of dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters following an absinthe rinse in the Tuxedo No. 2. Garnish with a lemon twist and consider Ashton VSG a safe match for complexity’s sake. Notes of cedar, leather, raisins, and espresso beans resonate with marvelous depth thanks to a 94-rated array of premium aged Dominican tobaccos tucked under a perfectly fermented Sumatra-seed wrapper from Ecuador.

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Gin
• ¾ oz. Dry vermouth
• ¼ oz. Maraschino liqueur
• 2 dashes Orange bitters
• Absinthe rinse

Garnish: Lemon twist

Glass: Coupe/Coupette

Preparation: Combine ingredients (except absinthe) in a chilled mixing glass and stir with ice for 15 seconds. Rinse the inside of a chilled coupe glass with absinthe and discard the excess. Strain stirred ingredients into chilled coupe and serve. Garnish with a lemon twist.

7.  The Last Word & Oliva Serie V Melanio

Cool, clean notes of rose petals and cucumber in Hendrick’s Gin imbue The Last Word with an abundant zest. Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, gin, and fresh lime juice are shaken with ice and double-strained into a chilled glass. Oliva Serie V Melanio introduces a touch of caramel in an even-keeled profile of leather, white pepper, and wood. The former ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ scored 96 points in Cigar Aficionado before anyone knew how great it tasted with The Last Word.

Ingredients

• ¾ oz. Gin
• ¾ oz. Green Chartreuse
• ¾ oz. Maraschino liqueur
• ¾ oz. Fresh lime juice

Glass: Coupe

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.

8.  Aviation & San Cristobal Quintessence

In the creamy palate of violets with citrus and floral notes found in an Aviation, Plymouth Gin drops in a soft botanical profile of orange peel, coriander, lemon peel, cardamom, and juniper berries. Maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, fresh lemon juice, and gin are shaken on ice, strained into a glass, and garnished with a brandied cherry. Its delightful and delicious chemistry gets serious with San Cristobal Quintessence, a 95-rated classic ranked as the ‘#3 Cigar of the Year’ in Cigar Aficionado for 2021. Robust notes of molasses and black pepper deliver a leathery and warm aroma. A glistening Ecuador Habano wrapper embraces a bountiful recipe of prized Nicaraguan tobaccos procured from select Garcia family estates. Plus, the purple-and-blue hue of an Aviation looks amazing beside the parrot depicted in a vivid tropical landscape on the San Cristobal cigar band. Your next Instagram photo awaits.

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Gin
• ½ oz. Maraschino liqueur
• ¼ oz. Crème de Violette (or Crème Yvette)
• ¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice

Garnish: Brandied cherry

Glass: Cocktail

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry.