In my opinion, craft beer and fine hand-rolled cigars go together well. So do peanut butter and chocolate. Reese’s took advantage of the latter combination years ago; now a cigar maker is doing the same for the former.
Ted’s, a cigar manufacturer based in Louisville, Kentucky, is introducing the HOPZ Craft Beer Cigar, a traditional hand-rolled with a twist: It’s seasoned with Centennial hops, which we all know helps impart a robust floral aroma to many hoppy IPAs.
On Friday, May 20, 2011, Backroom Cigar Corp. in the Central Florida town of Celebration will hold an American Craft Beer Week event featuring the cigar, paired with a hoppy IPA from Big River Grille & Brewing Works (the only working brewpub on Disney World property!)
Brian Nall, president of Backroom, said he’s sampled the HOPZ cigar and found it quite tasty.
“It’s a very slight hoppy flavor; it’s not a blast in your face,” he said. “It’s a well-constructed cigar on the milder side.”
Nall added that he tried pairing the cigar with several different IPAs.
“It definitely enhances it if you’re drinking a hoppy beer,” he said.
Kent Waugh, Big River head brewer, will bring some of his new Soleil IPA for the pairing event.
Waugh started at Big River about seven months ago, and has participated in previous beer-and-cigar pairings at Backroom Cigar.
An Ohio native, Waugh lived in Colorado for 14 years, where he started at Boulder Beer Co., worked his way up there, then brewed at some other places before landing at Big River.
Ted’s previously created cigars infused with the flavors of such libations as Maker’s Mark and Grand Marnier. The HOPZ cigar is a 6×50 Toro, with a Cameroon wrapper, a Connecticut binder and Dominican Republic filler tobaccos.
The event Friday runs from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be no charge for admission or beer samples, but the Hopz Cigars will be on sale for $8 (normally $10). Backroom Cigar Corp. is at 58 Riley Road, Celebration, in the Water Tower Place at West Irlo Bronson (Highway 192) and Celebration Avenue. For more information, call (407) 566-9353 or email info@backroomcigarcorp.com.
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