On our podcast, we’ve dabbled in pairing food and beer alongside some of our favorite smokes. So in keeping with the theme of pairings, we decided to pair two of our favorite cigars from Davidoff alongside three different, popular, and straight-up delicious brands of Root Beer we could find.

First off, we drank the famous Stewart’s Fountain Classics. Stewart’s sets the bar for old fashioned fountain sodas. Introduced at Stewart’s Restaurant in 1924 by Frank Stewart in Mansfield, Ohio, when it comes to flavored soda, Stewart’s holds the top spot in that category. In 1990, the rights to Stewart’s were acquired by the Cable Car Beverage Corporation. Two years after that Cream Soda and Ginger beer flavors were introduced, being two of the more popular brands under Stewart’s even until this day.

Next, we drank the world-famous Saranac Beer. Hailing from Utica, New York, the brewery that manufactures Saranac Root Beer has been around since 1888. However, 1888 Tavern Root Beer, later re-branded as Saranac Root Beer was introduced in 1995, winning two awards at the Great American Beer Festival. Saranac sells a plethora of soft drinks as well as beer, spiked seltzer, and hard ciders. I’m so impressed by the number of options they have; I may need to take a road trip up to Utica to check out their brewery sometime soon!

Lastly, the team enjoyed a bottle of the sweet and delectable Virgil’s Root Beer.  This all-natural handcrafted root beer was developed in 1994 by Edward Crowley and Jill Fraser Crowley, owners of Crowley Beverage Co. Virgil’s Root Beer have won the “Outstanding Beverage” award at the International Fancy Food and Confection Show in 1994, 1996, and 1997. What makes Virgil’s so tasty is the fact it’s blended with natural spices and cane sugar, as well as various oils from Peru, Jamaica, and France. In 1999, Virgil’s expanded its product line so it could include vanilla cream, black cherry, orange, and lemon-lime! As of recent, in 2018, Virgil’s added a new line of Zero Sugar soda, for all to enjoy.

You can check your local supermarkets or liquor stores to try any of these delicious and tasty root beers and figure out what cigar you enjoy pairing alongside these sodas.

Dating back to the 1840s, Root Beer has been a caffeine-free sweet treat soft drink for all to enjoy! Used for ice cream floats and other delicious pairings, root beer seems to be the dominant soda amongst “best soda” debates online.

We’ve had a few debates ourselves on several episodes of the Long Ash Podcast as to which Root Beers pair best with specific cigars. But for this week’s Top 5, we dive deeper and give you five top-notch premium cigars that pair perfectly with five different brands of root beer.

From Davidoff to Crowned Heads, here are our Top 5 Cigars to pair alongside Root Beer. Don’t forget to grab the limited time sampler in the link below!

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Dominican Republic

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

Length: 4.50

Ring: 41

Strength: Medium

Smoke Time: 70 Minutes

The Davidoff Millennium Blend Series. Davidoff has several medium to full-bodied offerings, however, the Millennium was their first to take a chance at it and has never looked back. It was a hit and remains one of the most balanced and flavorful offerings within their portfolio. By today’s standards, the Millennium is a solid medium body, at the time of its release it was one of the stronger Dominican cigars out there.

The rich body of the cigar is due to its use of aged Olor, Piloto, and San Vincente tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, the wrapper is a specially grown dark leaf from Ecuador. It is bursting with hints of dark coffee, pepper, leather, and a smooth slightly creamy finish.

The Root Beer of choice I’d pair alongside the Millenium Blend Series is Stewarts’s Classic Root Beer. With ten different flavor options, the original Stewart’s pairs perfectly with the flavor notes of the Davidoff Millenium Series. The syrup and vanilla combination you detect in most root beers is the perfect companion for the bold profile of this scrumptious cigar.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: San Andrés

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Length: 4.75

Ring: 52

Strength: Medium-Full

Smoke Time: 80 Minutes

This medium to full-bodied cigar from Crowned Heads pairs perfectly with any type of beverage, so it only made sense to have the Jericho Hill on our Top 5 Cigars to pair with Root Beer. The Jericho Hill was created through inspiration from Jon Huber’s love for Johnny Cash.

Cloaked in a dark and oily San Andres wrapper, the Jericho Hill has delicious Nicaraguan tobaccos that make up the binder and filler. Flavor notes you may detect while smoking is earth, pepper, sweet spice, and cocoa.

The best root beer companion to have alongside this 4.75 x 52 is the good old-fashioned A&W Root Beer. A little over 100 years old, A&W pairs perfectly with food, whiskey, and cigars as well. This delicious cream soda with zero sugar really compliments the heaviness and full-bodied flavor profile of Jericho Hill.

Available in six different sizes that come in a box of 24, the Jericho Hill is available on JR Cigars if you want to add these to your personal humidor.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés

Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo 99

Filler: Nicaragua

Length: 6.25

Ring: 52

Strength: Medium-Full

Smoke Time: 95 Minutes

Named the number 3 Cigar of the Year for the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars for 2018, the Foundation The Wise Man Maduro is one of the most sought-after cigars for all aficionados across the industry. The combination of tobacco throughout the wrapper, binder, and filler pairs perfectly with the sweet, sultry notes of a Root Beer.

Cloaked in a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Nicaraguan Corojo 99 tobaccos make up the binder and the filler. While puffing on this medium to full-bodied torpedo, you’ll spot flavor notes of pepper, leather, espresso, chocolate, cashews, and sweet honey. The hints of chocolate and honey complement the flavor notes of a Saranac Root Beer.

Saranac introduced soft drinks in 2000, with their popular root beer being one of them. The main flavor notes you’ll taste when having a Saranac Root Beer are Vanilla and Licorice. This caffeine-free treat will pair perfectly with the Wise Man Maduro.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Length: 5.12

Ring: 42

Strength: Medium-Full

Smoke Time: 85 Minutes

The Tatuaje Miami breathes excellence from the moment it’s lit. This limited-edition line that’s produced by Pete Johnson is expertly rolled in Miami under the watchful eye of industry legend Don “Pepin” Garcia.

This special blend features Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos that are featured in the binder and filler. An oily reddish-hue Ecuadorian tobacco makes up for the scrumptious wrapper that’s provided on this medium to full-bodied cigar.

Flavor notes you may detect on the Tatuaje Miami are leather, cocoa, cedar, and pepper on the backend. A root beer that I’d pair alongside this premium cigar is the popular Barq’s Root Beer. Owned by Coca-Cola, Barq’s has seven different lines under the Barq’s name. Deemed as one of the best root beers ever, we thought it was paired alongside a cigar from the legendary Pete Johnson himself.

Flavors you get when enjoying an ice-cold glass of Barq’s Root Beer are Vanilla, Caramel, and a dash of Licorice. This combination is a match made in heaven for both Cigar and Root Ber lovers alike.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Length: 6

Ring: 54

Strength: Full

Smoke Time: 100 Minutes

The last cigar on our Top 5 Cigars to pair with Root Beer is the Trinidad Espiritu. A collaboration between Rafael Nodal and AJ Fernandez is a nostalgic cigar that pays homage to old brands from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with a blend of the finest vintage Nicaraguan tobaccos. 

The Trinidad Espiritu has changed the image and reputation of the Trinidad brand it gained over the course of several years. This full-bodied Nicaraguan puro is not your typical full-bodied cigar you are used to experiencing. This 6 x 54 gem will give you a great two-hour smoking experience you’re looking to enjoy.

The final Root Beer selection we chose to pair alongside the Trinidad Espiritu is Virgil Root Beer. Created in 1994, this zero-sugar handcrafted root beer has scrumptious flavor notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. The zesty notes of the Espiritu is complimented by the sweet notes that Virgil Root Beer provides.

If there’s a root beer we’ve missed or don’t have on the list, leave in the comments below some of your favorite Root Beer and Cigar pairings!