Ometepe Float: A Zero-Proof Cold Brew for Maduro Cigars

From the Ready Room at Bravo Cigar Company. A zero-proof recipe for adults 21 and older who already enjoy cigars.

Cold brew, dark cocoa and a salted cream float. A nod to the volcanic island of Ometepe, where part of the Bangalore's filler is grown. It's one of ten original pairing drinks in the Ready Room, built to sit alongside the Bangalore Series.

At a Glance

• Type: Zero-proof (non-alcoholic)
• Pairs with: Bangalore Series (maduro)
• Method: Built
• Time: about 4 minutes
• Glass: Tall glass over ice
• Makes: 1 drink

Why Ometepe Float Pairs With the Bangalore Series

In our tasting notes, the Bangalore Series has an oily, creamy smoke with dark, oaky notes, a touch of cocoa and a pleasant bitterness that shift and build from one third to the next.

Cold brew brings roast and gentle bitterness that sit right alongside the maduro's dark oak, while the salted cream float matches the oily, creamy smoke and keeps each sip smooth as the flavors shift third to third.

Ingredients

• 5 oz cold brew coffee
• ½ oz dark chocolate syrup
• ¼ oz demerara syrup (2:1)
• 1½ oz heavy cream or oat creamer
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt
• Garnish: grated dark chocolate

Syrup note: Demerara syrup (2:1): Stir 2 parts demerara sugar into 1 part hot water until dissolved. Keeps 1 month refrigerated.

How to Make Ometepe Float

1. Stir cold brew, chocolate syrup and demerara in a tall glass with ice.
2. Whisk or shake the cream with the salt until lightly thickened.
3. Pour the cream slowly over the back of a spoon so it floats.

Pairing Tips

• Sip through the cream rather than stirring it in. The salted cream and the cold coffee arriving together is what makes this pairing work.
• Use a smooth, low-acid cold brew. Bright, sour coffee fights a maduro's bitterness instead of matching it.
• Prefer it lighter? Halve the chocolate syrup and let the cigar bring the cocoa.

Smoke It With the Bangalore Series

Nicaraguan maduro wrapper, Estelí binder, Estelí and Ometepe fillers. 6x52 Toro. Medium strength, body and flavor. Shop the Bangalore Series.

Mixing one tonight? Log the pairing in the free Bravo Cigar Journal. It opens with the cigar and the drink already filled in.

More From the Ready Room

• Want a spirited version? Try Breach & Clear, the spirited pairing for the same cigar.
• See all ten recipes in the Ready Room.
• For coffee, whiskey, beer and food ideas, read the Bravo Cigar Pairing Guide.

Tobacco notice: Cigars contain nicotine and pose health risks even without inhalation. See the National Cancer Institute.