It never fails. Whether it’s a day of 18 holes with old friends or clearing the brush outside the family cabin, my old man finishes it with a cigar. Since I was a young child, there are two things I knew set my Pops apart from most. First, a mustache that would rival Magnum PI even on Tom Selleck’s best day and two, that humidor. Since I can remember and to this day, his bedroom dresser has been home to that brown box of wonders. While Padron remains his puff of choice, there has always been a collection of labels looking back at you each time you opened that up. Even with all those choices, there was never hesitation when he opened it up. At the end of the day, my old man knows his drink and he knows his smoke.

With the recent explosion of micro and nano breweries hitting local communities, choices are abound and many MWGs have established their go to brew. Now, while many of the OGs of the MWG community have crafted their drink-smoke combo over years of trial in error, you now have a chance to enhance your evening slow-down with the latest pairing tool from Famous Smoke Shop.

The Cigar and Beer Pairing Guide was created in association with The Man Guide and simply put, it is a tool that does the work for you. With input from top tobacconist and beerologists from around the industry, this simple, straight to the point guide goes beyond “oak notes” and “robust tobacco blankets” – it cuts out the fluff and gets straight to the point. Whether you are a seasoned pro ready to try something new, or in your rookie year and want to ensure a proper smoke matches that six-pack of Midwestern grain, this is the guide for you. All it takes is four easy steps.

Step 1. What are you drinking?

It’s a simple question that is asked often and a true MWG never stutters. This is an area we have been bred to answer, to know and to repeat. For me, Bell’s Brewery Two-Hearted when the outdoor temperature is between 40 and 73 degrees – science? No. Instinct. Below 40 degrees, I am pouring a porter, specifically a Great Lakes Brewery – Edmund Fitzgerald. For those hot summer days, Old Milwaukee – ice cold, “Old Mil.”. Of course, these are three distinct beers, each with their own flavor, their own personality and needed for different occasions. For the Cigar & Pairing Guide it’s important as it is the lead question into your journey of cigar enlightenment, so be ready to answer but to ease you in, they just need to know light? Medium? or Dark?

Step 2. What type of (light, medium, dark) beer are you drinking?

This is going to narrow the search for you and like many MWGs, its simple. These choices are not meant to trip you up in getting to your final destination. They are not expecting you to be a Cicerones (not the Mexican dish, the beer sommelier). Nothing worse than the guy who dips his face into a pint glass to educate you on the mash and hops that went into it. Want to know if it’s a good beer? Drink it. If you fancy the style, drink it some more! Either way, to really get to that smoke that will take your leisurely evening to the next level, note the style… it’s all you need to move on.

Step 3. What are you doing?

Now this. This is what puts sets the Famous Smoke Shop Cigar & Beer Pairing Guide a part from the rest. This isn’t a regurgitation of some pairing guide GQ did 10 years ago, these guys get it. They know that a man’s mental state or his current situation has an impact on what he needs. This piece is multiple choice and while the answers offered to you are quite specific, we have all been in each one at some point. Choose wisely, close your eyes and soak the moment in, now open! Read your choices, go with your gut but answer with your heart.

Step 4. Puff, Puff, Drink

There it is. Your smoke. Famous Smoke Shop has done the work for you. At the end of your pairing journey, you are presented with the image and stats of your next cigar purchase. Country of origin, strength, leaf type, smoke time, it’s all there. They also provide you with ratings, reviews and price points for the cigar. One big plus that we noticed with the tool is that each cigar is obtainable. Prices range anywhere from $5 – $25 per cigar, as they know you can’t put a price on experience.

And while I may never be able to grow the mustache like my old man, I can bring the right cigar to the table. The pairing guide is a simple tool that will help you not only plan a simple evening to yourself but can be used when planning any getaway. Bachelor parties, tailgates, poker nights – all of these can be enhanced with your now expanded knowledge on cigar and beer pairings thanks to Famous Smoke and The Man Guide.

For more information on Famous Smoke Shop, visit them online at www.famous-smoke.com, follow them on Instagram or jump straight to the inventory at their online shop. Tired of perusing Facebook every hour? Need a change of pace when it comes to lunchtime web browsing? Up your web surfing game by checking out the gents over at The Man Guide –www.themanguide.com. 

Go forth gentlemen and live the Great Lakes Good Life.

Cheers…