Abbina Launches Sodas Made to Pair With Cigars

This week, Abbina Craft Sipping Soda will complete its first production batch of soda. It might seem a bit odd to be reading about it here, but Abbina’s sodas are designed to be paired with cigars.

A year ago, Charlie Albanetti began experimenting with making his own soda to pair with cigars. He wanted to find more complementary non-alcoholic pairings for cigars, so he set out to create his own, starting in his dining room before eventually working with professional flavorists.

The company will have four sodas on launch:

• Abbina Candlewood
• Abbina Royale
• Abbina Tower 44
• Abbina Vinnie

Each can be purchased in 12-packs of 12-ounce bottles for $48 or $4 per bottle.

Abbina says the flavor notes range from chocolate and coffee in the Royale to Vinnie, which is described as “a variety of spices, fruits, & a touch of sweetness.” The company uses agave syrup as a sweeter but relies on a mixture of natural and synthetic flavors, which it says are necessary to achieve the complex flavor profiles it wants.

“I love exploring flavor, and my go-to beverage pairing has always been soda, but I was left wanting something more exciting,” said Charlie Albanetti, founder and ceo, in a press release. “I created Abbina because I wanted something better for myself and I thought other cigar enthusiasts would really enjoy the experience too.”

At the moment, all four sodas—as well as a 12-bottle variety pack—are available for preorder directly through Abbina’s website. The company says it is working on distribution to other stores.