Now that California law prohibits smoking in bars and restaurant, it is funny to see how many cigar shops in California are opening private bar-clubs behind their shop. These clubs are for members only, and are very luxuriously decorated, with plenty of sofa's and cozy corners to chat with your friend smokers. In a side room you can watch a TV, and in some clubs you can find a pool-table in an other side room. The public is very affluent and mixed, ladies and gentlemen. These clubs remind you somewhat of the "speak easy's" and the business or gentlemen clubs in London.

We know that our famous Beerhunter Michael Jackson doesn't like to taste beer with cigar smoke, but he cannot prevent others to like the combination. A rich Belgian beer is the natural choice to match with a fine cigar. In fact, let me tell you about some early childhood experiences on the subject in Belgium.
Who were the first people, as a group, that I, as a child, learned to know as avid cigar smokers? It were the catholic priests and monks.
You may wonder why they were all so keen on smoking thick cigars. I believe it was because the habit of cigar smoking was the only sucking pleasure they had in live.

Some examples. We had a missionary monk in our family, who was stationed in Taiwan, but who came home about once every five years. When "great uncle monk" was in Belgium, the whole family came together to listen to his stories, while everyone enjoyed a long multi course dinner with plenty of good beer. Abbey ales were the natural choice. Uncle Hero sat on the head of the table, and before telling the stories he would always light up a fine thick cigar. Other uncles would follow. We, children, could only hear part of the stories. I'm sure that the juiciest once were told when we were not present. It was also thanks to uncle monk that I started to collect the colorful paper cigar-rings. I remember that after 6 years of collecting I had several thousands of these rings, nicely organized by brand. This collection is certainly somewhere in a box on my father's attic collecting dust.

I was sent to boarding school in Oostende (Flanders) when I was 15 and stayed there to finish my high-school. It was a Catholic boarding school, where priests occupied some key management posts and some of them were also teachers. Belgium is not that big, so we stayed in boarding school only for a week at a time. In fact, I came in the Sunday evening, and we had school until Saturday noon. When I was not punished, I could leave immediately at 12 o'clock to hitchhike home about 25 miles from school. The most severe punishment at school was the obligation to come in the Sunday evening instead of the Monday morning. Only about 3 weeks in boarding school, me and a couple of friends 'ran against the lamp' and had to come in the Sunday evening. That Sunday night, instead of going straight into school, we first visited a couple of local bars, and wandered through the red light district. Around 8 o'clock we came in to school. The number of students coming in the Sunday night was very limited or null, except for me and my friends. Because we came in, one priest had to be there (he was in fact punished as well, due to us) to welcome us and to watch us.
The best thing for the priest to do was to combine business with pleasure. So, the priest invited us to his room where we sat with him until midnight to discuss life, politics, parents, religion, love, sex, sports, ... you name it. During this very pleasant evenings, where we learned to debate and to discuss, we enjoyed beer or wine, while the priest was having his thick cigar. We smoked cigarettes.

These Sunday evenings were so pleasant for us, that since that Sunday we always came in on Sunday evening. First going out in town, and then free beer and free cigarettes and lengthy discussions with a priest. An other good thing was that we became the 'bad boys' of the boarding school, that were not afraid to land the heaviest punishment of all: coming in on Sunday.

Back to today in the USA. Cigar smokers had already told me that there is no better beer to have with a cigar than the PIRAAT. At a recent Belgian beer-tasting at the Cigar Club in Glendale - CA, together with about 40 real connoisseurs cigar smokers, we matched different cigars with 7 beers. They all agreed that the PIRAAT was the best beer they ever had with a cigar.

The "cognacly" full flavor and round taste of the beer, and the high alcohol content, is an ideal match to have with your best Cubans. After all, I believe it were the Caribbean Pirates who were the first to enjoy the pleasures of booze and cigars. Try to remember old pictures of Sea faring Captains. They all had a pipe or a cigar at hand. The beer style of the PIRAAT was developed centuries ago to go on the boats around the world. It warms you from within, boosts your energy level, and gives you good food value.

At the tasting we all agreed that the Abbey ales were excellent beers to go with your cigar.
We tasted the DOUBLE ENGHIEN BLONDE, the AUGUSTIJN and the BORNEM DOUBLE. Here the cigar club could only agree that all three beers had their merits. Some of the members preferred the more hoppy taste of the Double Enghien, others the nice aroma and full body of the AUGUSTIJN, but most preferred the maltiness of the dark BORNEM DOUBLE.
The result of such a tasting depends on many factors: the cigar you smoke, your personal taste buds, what you have eaten before ... Although, it is obvious that the richness of the Belgian Abbey ales, with their natural carbonation, and their lasting head is very attractive for the cigar smoker. This style of beer you enjoy with small sips, just like your cigar.

The success of the SILLY SCOTCH didn't come as a surprise either. This very tasty beer, with licorice undertones, is a natural to adventure with different cigars.
The taste is so outspoken and so exceptional that you can easily fortify or damp the taste of your cigar. In fact, that is what matching cigars with beer is all about. Try to create combinations that enhance the taste of your cigar, or create new twists in taste.

The taste of a mouthful of Belgian beer, thanks to its richness and outspoken taste, will stay in your mouth longer than any other beer. When you then take a sip of your favorite cigar it is absolutely sure you're in for a new experience.

Experiment, and let me know your best combinations. Cheers.