Cigar and Spiked Seltzer Pairings
Spiked seltzer is a relatively new phenomenon. Seltzer’s been around for over 250 years, but hard seltzer began its meteoric rise in 2013 when business partners Nick Shields and Dave Holmes founded their SpikedSeltzer brand in a Westport, Connecticut garage. The substance was created from their recipe for brewing carbonated water infused with alcohol. In 2016, SpikedSeltzer was acquired by Anheuser-Busch who rebranded the stuff Bon & Viv.
Today, there are dozens and dozens of hard seltzer brands, many owned by the big beer companies. Sales of hard seltzer are expected to spike from 14 million cases in 2018 to 72 million cases in 2021, or $550 million to $2.5 billion. White Claw has clearly claimed an edge in the industry, with nearly 50% of the spiked seltzer shelf space going to its products, mostly because of its “healthier” image. White Claw is especially popular among calorie-counters who are swayed by the lack of artificial ingredients and sugar, and the brand’s simple, clean, and gluten-free makeup.
Cigar lovers looking for an alternative to craft beer or cocktails with light spirits can consider hard seltzer. It’s everywhere now and it’s even marketed as a brunch-friendly beverage. You may or may not care what number pops up on a scale when you step on it, but the drink is catching on with guys as well as girls these days. Here are some crisp and refreshing hard seltzer and cigar pairings to consider when you’re craving a clean and easy can of something carbonated to sip besides beer while you’re smoking.
White Claw Natural Lime & San Cristobal Elegancia
White Claw Natural Lime is crisp and straightforward. It’s only 100 calories per 12oz can and kicks out a zesty, clean profile of lime. San Cristobal Elegancia is an excellent cigar for a hot day when you want complex taste that’s not overwhelming. Notes of white pepper, almonds, and cedar emerge in six classic shapes. Elegancia is blended by Pepin Garcia from a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador and a well-aged amalgam of premium Nicaraguan long-fillers.
Truly Blueberry & Acai & La Aroma de Cuba
The modern taste of Brazilian acai meets blueberries in one of Truly’s most popular hard seltzers. Truly Blueberry & Acai is tart, sweet, and bright on the palate. Its sweet and seasoned taste is a nice complement to the 93-rated La Aroma de Cuba. A Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper marries a vintage blend of select Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos grown by celebrated cigar-maker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia. A medium-bodied profile of dark cocoa, cedar, leather, and brown sugar harbors a pleasant mix of spices that taste great in the context of a carbonated beverage.
Bon & Viv Lemon Lime & Oliva Connecticut Reserve
Who doesn’t like a lemon-lime buzz on a sunny day? Crack a cold Bon & Viv Lemon Lime to accompany an Oliva Connecticut Reserve cigar when you’re laying by the pool on vacation. Purified water and natural fruit flavors go into a classic, citrusy hard seltzer you can knock back while you’re leisurely puffing on a mellow cigar. Connecticut Reserve is drawn from an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf and creamy core of premium Nicaraguan long-fillers handcrafted at the brand’s award-winning factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Its nutty, milky finish lands between mild and medium-bodied and ushers just a touch of spices onto the palate.
Arctic Chill Raspberry Lime & Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne
Juicy notes of raspberry and lime flavors escape from a slender can from Arctic Chill. Serve the bubbly concoction over ice with a lime wedge for best-tasting results. Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne is the bestselling cigar in the Perdomo portfolio and one that’s regularly paired with ice-cold beer. Take a detour from the standard suds with a naturally gluten-free hard seltzer when you’re smoking your next 10th Anniversary Champagne. A medium-bodied profile of coffee beans, pepper, and buttered toast coats the palate with silky flavor and aroma.
Bud Light Seltzer Black Cherry & Romeo y Julieta Reserva 1875
We can’t leave the iconic Bud Light label out of our seltzer selections. Try Bud Light Black Cherry for a classic seltzer with fruity and crisp taste. Or, get experimental with the all-new Bud Light Ugly Sweater Seltzer Variety Pack for the Holidays. Flavors like Peppemint Pattie, Ginger Snap, and Apple-Crisp will give you nice buzz if you’re up late waiting to smoke a cigar with Santa Claus. The popular Cuban-legacy profile from Romeo y Julieta 1875 is a solid cigar to pair with a range of hard seltzers. Nutty, toasted notes of fresh coffee, black pepper, and baking spices please the palate in a big collection of classic sizes. An Indonesian wrapper conceals an even-keeled interior of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos handmade in the Dominican Republic.
