Name: 100 Year Old Cigar
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 2.5 ml Absinthe; 50 ml Aged rum (6-10yr); 15 ml Bénédictine D.O.M.; 15 ml Cynar/carciofo amaro; 5 ml Peated malt whisky; 1 dash Aromatic bitters

100 Year Old Cigar
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Glass:

Photographed in a Waterford Mixology Coupe Clear

Ingredients:
¹⁄₁₂ oz	La Fée Parisienne absinthe
1 ²⁄₃ oz	Caribbean blended rum aged 6-10 years
¹⁄₂ oz	Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
¹⁄₂ oz	Cynar or other carciofo amaro
¹⁄₆ oz	Torabhaig Peated Single Malt Whisky
1 dash	Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
No garnish to prepare.

How to make:

RINSE chilled glass with absinthe (swirl around to coat and discard excess) and set to one side.
STIR other ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into absinthe-rinsed glass.

Garnish:

Serve naked, without garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Stirred down and spirit-forward, so suited to late-night sipping. This cocktail has broader appeal when served on-the-rocks in an old-fashioned glass, either way it is cigar-like and suits being accompanied by one.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe created in 2015/6 by bartender Maks Pazuniak whilst working at the Counting Room in Brooklyn, New York City. His cocktail travelled with him when, in 2016, Maks opened the Jupiter Disco Bar with business partner Al Sotack, also in Brooklyn (Bushwick). Maks original recipe, served in a Nick & Nora:
1¾ oz Ron Zacapa No. 23
½ oz Cynar
½ oz Bénédictine
¼ oz Laphroaig 10-Year Single Malt Islay Whisky
1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
¼ oz absinthe (to rinse glass with excess discarded)

100 Year Old Cigar was first published in Carey Jones' 2016 Brooklyn Bartender: A Modern Guide to Cocktails and Spirits.

More cocktails by Maksym "Maks" Pazuniak

Nutrition:

One serving of 100 Year Old Cigar contains 235 calories

Alcohol content:

1.8 standard drinks
29.24% alc./vol. (58.47° proof)
25.7 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 27 comments for 100 Year Old Cigar.
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Craig Kaplan

24th January at 03:07

I quite liked this. I made it to be up and had a few sips and then transferred it to cubes. I liked the many notes and the very long finish. I don't have any single malt so I used blended. Rum was Old Monk. Potentially I was heavy with the absinthe rinse. I will try it again

Anthony Combs

23rd January at 21:47

I personally feel this cocktail falls short of the hype. I would rather pair a neat Scotch or bourbon with a cigar than this cocktail.

Frederic Yarm

23rd January at 18:18

Ought to include attribution to Maks Pazuniak at Brooklyn's Jupiter Disco.

Simon Difford

24th January at 07:29

Many thanks, Frederic. I've added credit to Maks above.

E Wayne Ross

20th January at 07:14

Excellent cocktail. I used Havana Club Selección De Maestros Rum; Okanagan Spirits Taboo Absinthe; Ardbeg An Oa scotch whisky; and Bitter Queen’s Marie Laveau Tobacco Bitters. Did not pair with cigar, but didn’t need to.

Terry Boczar

17th January at 16:23

I had one of these for the first time last night and wow! So good. Complex, a bit smoky with the Laphroaig.

A J Wilson

21st September 2025 at 10:18

Used Drambuie in place of the Benedictine as it was what I had to hand. Still delicious! I’m more inclined to serve it over a big cube, however, because it’s so rich that I want to nurse it for a while.

Sterling Diesel

13th July 2025 at 21:47

This is sooooo good, im forever grateful that you've created such a fantastic repository of cocktail recipes / knowledge. Thanks a million Simon (and your crew) 🙏

Charlie Forbes

22nd February 2025 at 00:02

It tastes just like the sound of a brass band from an elementary school for the profoundly deaf falling down two flights of concrete stairs. Just sayin'

Frederic D.

22nd February 2025 at 02:09

So you liked it then?

1 reply

Caspian Berggren

13th February 2025 at 18:28

What a lovely cocktail. I like my scotch smokey so I made it with Ardbeg Uigeadail. Even though it's only 0.5cl it makes itself present. The name is certainly fitting because both the taste makes you think of a cigar and the way you consume it. I thought the rum would make it sweeter but it's more like it's building on the earthiness of the Cynar. It would be really interesting to test it with a split base of rum and a blended scotch like Monkey Shoulder. The recipe is great though as is!

Felicia

7th February 2025 at 12:39

Am in love! It works with such a variety of spirits. I finished my 1 liter bottle of Cynar - it took a minute even for as often as I use it lol!! I substituted Eda Rhyne Amaro Obscura- delicious. They are - were - my favorite spirits company. Their Appalachian Fernet is the best I’ve had. Tragically their distillery was a victim of hurricane Helene here in North Carolina rebuilding - if they can - will take a long time. Whenever I can use top quality local - I always do. Support independents!!!!

Felicia

6th June 2025 at 23:06

Note to self: remember to eat something *before* you start cooking!! Even nursing and on the rocks (more dilution!!) packs a (delicious) punch. LOVE!!❤️

Bill Royal

13th February 2025 at 18:08

Also live in NC and didn't realize Eda Rhyne was impacted by the storm. Hate to hear that!

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