The Legacy and Heritage of Pappy Van Winkle, reflected in the Art of the Ritual

The Perfect Pairing: Cigars and Bourbon

Rituals are essential elements of our lives. They serve an important role in understanding and relating to not only ourselves, but also our communities and our families at large. Yet, we don’t often stop to wonder how or why certain rituals emerge and become ingrained into our collective ideas, sense of self, and daily lives. In fact, their significance is often observed or understood almost subconsciously, and we follow their familiar footsteps by habit. Some rituals are practiced by entire groups of people or communities, while some are entirely specific to an individual or family unit. 

Some rituals are so intrinsically tied to communities that simply embracing the symbolic nature of the ritual almost defines them. Some attribute significant familial importance to them, and they remain constant through generations due to their origins, while others evolve over time to include others or honor a specific moment in time or a significant event.

It’s not so much a coincidence that rituals are often centered around specific events or holidays that are indelibly tied to a special food or drink, but rather a strikingly necessary component of the ritual itself developing. After all, food and drink are, like most rituals, meant to be shared. 

They, like many family recipes passed down through generations, are part of the fabric of our history. Food and drink, and even to a certain degree, specific flavors, can represent cultures and provide contextual clues to our past. They can even be born of scarcity or tragedy, or created to mark a holiday, an important passage, or movement and change within a community or period of time.

Rituals can be considered a celebration. Whether a daily one that honors a small moment rather than a large one, such as a holiday or birthday. It can be a small moment of joy tucked into the mundane routine of everyday. They can be as small as your morning cup of coffee or revolve around big family traditions that encompass holidays and events. You can start your own, or follow one that is so set in stone and time that the origin could be impossible to trace. 

The ritual of enjoying a drink at the end of the day, although not unique, often has individual customs and traditions that make it special for each person. It could be the glass you use, the chair you sit in, the drink itself, or who you sip with. Maybe it is even what you enjoy alongside your evening cocktail that becomes the ritual. 

These tiny moments can transport you and connect you to a time, a place, or even to people and memories. There is an undeniable ritual that combines two beloved traditions and activities in one. One that is pervasive and indelibly linked to our family’s legacy, one that has even become the most enduring and recognizable image of our great-grandfather, Pappy Van Winkle. That image, featured on certain bottles of his eponymous bourbon, sees him, naturally, enjoying a cigar.

Cigars and bourbon.
A ritual born of a deep connection, tradition, flavor, and, of course, a desire to blend their inherent enjoyment.   This ritual, this pairing, is one of the main reasons we wanted to expand into a signature line of premium cigars. Inspired by Pappy’s own love of cigars, and the ritual of relaxing into one to savor alongside an evening cocktail. His, of course, was bourbon. Our dad, Julian Van Winkle, continued this ritual and tradition. We watched him enjoy his evening cigar. It was clear, even as we were young, that this was a special part of his day, something to be appreciated and savored. 

Perhaps it's the harmonious flavors, the complementary notes and layers, or the craftsmanship and dedication each requires, which subconsciously prompts an awareness that enjoying them should be savored, not rushed. Perhaps it's that the traditional art of crafting both cigars and Bourbon, are in fact rituals upon themselves. 

The Art of the Ritual of Making Bourbon: Secret of the Five Keys

The Art of the Ritual: Crafting Cigars

A rare combination that invites social or solitary enjoyment. Whether it's sequestering yourself after a long day in your favorite chair, on a porch, or enjoyed with friends outside, cigars and bourbon are a welcome pairing in any setting.  

So much of what we create is designed to enhance these rituals. Whether yours is a long-held ritual or you are accepting the invitation to begin one, here are some Pappy Van Winkle-inspired accessories to infuse your special moments with an elevated sense of sophistication, heritage, and uniquely held traditions, from our family to yours. After all, sharing rituals is the only way to ensure they continue.

Perfecting the Art of the Ritual with Pappy Van Winkle Inspired Essentials:

Glassware:

Pappy & Company Cigar Glass for Bourbon: A cigar glass thoughtfully designed to hold your cigar while you sip. Doesn't get easier than that. 

The Old Rip Van Winkle Tasting Glass. A tasting glass for inspired sips.

Pappy & Company Spinning Glass Set with Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Crafted Coasters: A spinning glass, crafted from retired Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels, for flavor and aesthetic enhancement. 

 

A time-honored tradition pairs a classic craft cocktail with a cigar, highlighting the deep, bold and rich flavors of each. We’ve made it even easier to deliver craft cocktails with Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged flavor from your own bar with our line of mixologist crafted premium cocktail mixers: 

Pappy Hour Classics: 
Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned Mixer, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Kentucky Sour Mixer, Pappy Van Winkle Espresso Elixir, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel Bloody Mary Mixer. 

Custom Table Lighter in Antique Saddle Leather:Smooth, and classic with a custom retro design and torch flame.