need guide to pairing with beer
 

I'm stopping by my favorite liquor store for the holiday weekend and I'd like to buy beer other than the tired Budlights of the world. What are the general thoughts on pairing? Is is just a crap shoot or is there a method?

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

No real method, and it really depends on your taste and the stick. For example, with a deep rich maduro I generally pair that with a belgian dubbel or quad. Most cc's, with their grassy bright tones I enjoy a IIPA with. So it really all depends.
Plus it helps that I homebrew so I can make what I want when I want it :p.

If youre going to a generic store, they should carry Victory's hopdevil and/or Dogfish Heads 90min IPA. Both solid generic IPAs. Both would go well with most cigars on a hot day

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

beyond drinking a good beer with your good cigar, i would say find the style you like and drink it.


Dogfish 90 is far from a "generic IPA" IMO. Great beer.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Well, to me it is. Im not saying its bad, I absolutely love it. I used generic as in you can find it in most stores rather than some of the beers I scout out which you have to wiggle your nose right and skip into the store the right way to find, lol.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I normally don't drink beer with my cigars. Although, now that I've read this thread, I'm planning on it this weekend!

Probably pick up some Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, and maybe something from Deschutes.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

beer is always hard to recommend because distribution varies so widely.
look like there is no dogfish in OK.

googling yukon, i couldn't find any store with inventory listed on the web, but i did find a restaurant:

http://jojostaphouse.com/jojos-beers.htm

One option would be to go there and sample away.
Alternatively, It's probably a reasonable guess that local stores would have the same beers... So, arbitrarily of those I happen to have had and like... Flying Dog Doggie Style :)

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I wish I could get Bells out here :(

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Personally I stay away from alcohol and cigars; the combination makes me feel nauseous.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I feel that mixing different alcohol PLUS cigars is no bueno

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

If you've got a spicy, full-bodied smoke, you'll probably want to go with an IPA or one of the blonde Belgian abbey-style ales.
With a sweeter smoke, you'll probably be better off with a sweet porter or milk stout. I can see a good RIS, with its increased hoppiness and dark sweetness, going great with a good, full-bodied maduro or oscuro. As mentioned earlier by kamil, one of the darker Belgian abbey-style ales could go well here, too.
If you've got a fairly mild smoke, your best bet will be a craft pilsner, lager, golden/blond ale, or perhaps APA. You may also be able to go with a wheat beer, though I personally wouldn't pair that sort of sour note with a cigar. One of the Belgian abbey-style blondes could also go well here.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

If you can, find a beer store that allows you to mix and match singles. It is a great and fairly inexpensive way to try new beers and new styles. I would start with getting some basic styles, maybe include a brown ale, a pale ale, an IPA (not a double/imperial IPA), an amber, a stout, and a porter. Summer is here so you may want to try some Summer seasonals as well. Also try local beers and as mentioned above try some Belgian ales, I find all of the different styles pair well with cigars just in different ways.

This is a link to Beerfly that will help you locate beer stores and bars

http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/

I looked up Yukon and it looks like you are fairly close to OKC and this store has a good review. I have no knowledge of OK so if I am way off my apologies

http://byronsliquor.com/

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

:tpd: Good pairing list

And if you're only accustomed to drinking the "tired Budlights of the world" ;), I would start with the craft pilsner/pale ale/blond ale styles. Jumping right in to the heavier styles like Belgian, Imperials, etc., can sometimes be a shock to the system

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

My favorite overall style of beer to have with a cigar are doublebocks.

Although not my favorite beer, Paulaner Salvator is my 1st choice to have with a stick.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I like some Guinness with a good maduro myself.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Check out this thread: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16879

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

For me sweet sticks = Founders Breakfast Stout or Stone RIS, spicy sticks = Nugget Nectar, Slumbrew Flagraiser, or Stone Ruination

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

:eek:
You enjoy Ruination with cigars? That sucker is a palate wrecker for me.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

My love for hops is undeniable :D :D :D

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I find that anything other than water just covers over the flavor or the cigar. I DO drink whiskey with them from
time to time, but only because I am smoking in a bar where I can get whiskey. All that said, I HAVE been drinking
an awful lot of beer with cigars lately, but I choose according to my palate, not with a plan towards pairing.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I like very few IPA's paired with cigars. The bitterness and hops tend to overpower the cigar. For me, I like German Style Lagers, Barleywines, and Imperial Stouts with my cigars..

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

If its the first time Im smoking a new cigar, its water, 100% of the time. If its something Ive had a few times and I know what to expect, Ill crack open a big beer, wine, or some tequila.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Me too, I love Ruination, but not with a cigar.

I really love IPA's and very hoppy beers, most of which have been listed here, however I haven't enjoyed a good IIPA, or IPA due to all the subtitle flavors in the cigar and the beer. If I were picking a beer to have with a cigar I might try a malt foward beer like Moose Drool or other dark brown ales.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Can't stand IPAs myself, for my palate I find that, if I want to drink beer, Imperial Stouts seem to pair best for me...but I more often turn to tequila or rum, quality ones poured neat.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

And I Thought "Guinness" Was The Answer!:D

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I have been drinking Old No. 38 Stout with my cigars lately. Seems to complement them nicely. I think the best answer to a question like this is to forget about pairing in general. Just find a good cigar you like and pick out a good beer you like. You can't go wrong with 2 favorites.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Don't get me wrong, I love I/IPAs, too, I just need some sort of malt backbone :D

Presumably aged barley wines? Fresh, they can be pretty hoppy like IPAs and hot like imp stouts, though the latter doesn't seem like an issue for you.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I like English Style Barleywines, so I tend to drink those more often than American. I also am a fan of Barrel Aged Barleywines, and again those tend to be brewed in the English style.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Yeah, aged barleywines can be really amazing... JW Lees ages great, and I have a pretty big stock of Bigfoot stashed away. One of the few true American style barleywines I enjoy..

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I see. I've never had an English barley wine. I know Swamphead/CCB did a collaboration barley wine where one did an English (called Churchill) and the other did an American (called.Roosevelt). Never did get my hands on either while I was in Florida.

Stone's Old Guardian is great with a few years on it. I had the 08 release last month at a Stone event in Florida, and it tasted like liquid, boozy bread pudding.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

X2

Before gave up beer I loved the Longtrail Double Bag and A NicaLibre Principe. Quick and delicious together.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I had a great 2008 Schlafly Reserve Barleywine earlier this year that had notes of marshmellow, vanilla, oak, and creme brulee.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

You can't get any simpler than this:

1) Buy beer you enjoy
2) Buy cigars you enjoy
3) Pull any combination thereof out of your humidor/fridge and you can't go wrong.

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

:tpd:

Re: need guide to pairing with beer
 

I am a fan of aged non hoppy barleywines...or dopplebocks. or aged imp stouts with my cigars...or a kolsch can be nice with lighter cigars