HoN La Flor De Las Antilles and Steinhart Vodka(s)

Time for something completely different! So in the last couple weeks I have been filming short segments for cigarnoise tv, a semi weekly you tube show from the creator of the cigarnoise app that includes a few folks submitting cigar reviews, comedic pieces and news. It was an absolute shock when I was asked to contribute, and has been super fun trying to come up with segments for my "Meanwhile in Canada" part. 
Last weekend my lovely wife and I went for a visit to a local distillery to film another segment and to get some recommendations for new cocktails and pairing ideas. I am usually a beer or whisky pairing person, and have never really given gin or vodka a fair shake, as I like them individually but never felt they added anything much to my cigar experience. Vodka to me is the 'chicken' of liquor in that it has little taste on its own, but it mostly acts as a vehicle for other ingredients to really shine.
I am pretty much going to stop there because the episode of our time at Steinhart hasnt aired yet, but it was a great little adventure. For our purposes though here though we will be talking about one specific cocktail and how it paired with the FDLA from My Fathers Cigars. This stick is my go to when I am trying something new. It is the perfect blend of flavors to really go with most things, and hits medium in terms of power right on the noggin.
The cocktail is a mix of Habanero Pepper Vodka, Maple Vodka and Pineapple Juice. I know right. How on earth would this pair with a cigar, well lets see:

Pairing Hots:

• The cigar is always a champ. Lit well, great draw, no relights or touch ups on the burn line, to windy to keep an ash, but flavors and construction were on point as usual.
• The cocktail was an absolute amazement. I thought the sweet from the cocktail would be way to strong for the cigar but that hit of habanero mellowed that sweet right out
• Tingly lips reminded me of eating too many cinnamon heart candies as a kid

Nots:​

• The only real drawback for me was the added twist of maple every now and again. I like maple things, but I think a more interesting ingredient would be a rhubarb vodka that is also made at Steinhart, just so there is also a not of sour to balance out the sweetness.

I just wanted to thank again, friend of the show, Shane, who took us on a tour of the facility and jumped into the video with both feet and made us some refreshing cocktails. I would be remiss to say that the gin we tried there was probably one of the nicest gin's I have ever had.  Even though when ever I drink gin i feel like i should be talking in a British accent - the gin and tonic I tried was a fantastic pairing for this cigar also. It really kept the palate refreshed so the cigar was able to be the star.

Steinhart also makes a Coffee Maple Vodka that smells and tastes amazing, so look for a future pairing with that beauty.
Thanks for reading!
http://myfathercigars.com/
http://steinhartdistillery.com/
cigarnoise.com
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan