Coffee, Campari & the Knuckle Sandwich

For our Sunday afternoon cocktails last weekend, I decided to make some Coffee Negronis. The coffee-flavored cocktail seemed particularly fitting for the cool afternoon.

The Coffee Negroni is based on a recipe from Anders Erickson.

Coffee Negroni

1 oz Dry Gin 

¾ oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur

¾ oz Campari

¼ oz Sweet Vermouth

Stir the ingredients with ice and serve up or over a large rock.

Express orange oil over the cocktail and discard the peel.

The cocktail has a darker, more roasted dimension than a classic Negroni. The Campari’s orange bitterness remains prominent, while the coffee adds espresso-like notes of roasted beans, dark chocolate, and a slight char. The roasted bitterness is nicely offset by the dark sweetness of the sweet vermouth, with everything accented by a bright citrus note. I took a small sip before expressing the orange oil, and that seemingly small addition made a noticeable difference, adding a fresh citrus note that brightened the entire drink.

I was also planning to enjoy an Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Chef Special 2025 Toro, which seemed like it would be a natural accompaniment. The cigar came from a box I purchased in June 2025. It’s been a while since I’ve grabbed a stick from that box, and I’d been thinking about lighting another one for some time.

The Knuckle Sandwich line is the result of a collaboration between chef Guy Fieri and Erik Espinosa. The Chef’s Special edition is released annually. The 2025 version features a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, presented as a 6 x 55 box-pressed Toro. The wrapper feels dry in the hand, but every one I’ve smoked has performed flawlessly.

The cigar is full-bodied, with earthy spice and espresso predominating. Layers of dark chocolate and dark fruit sweetness provide some balance to the bitter coffee notes.

The pairing offered a nice overlap of espresso and dark chocolate, along with some welcome contrast. The bitterness of the Campari stood up to the cigar’s richness, while the sweet vermouth and coffee notes seemed to amplify the chocolate and espresso flavors coming from the cigar. The flavors were familiar without being repetitive. The Knuckle Sandwich and Coffee Negroni didn’t simply duplicate each other, but instead seemed to lift and complement one another.

I’ve enjoyed cigars from the Knuckle Sandwich lineup with various bourbons, ryes, and ales. This Coffee Negroni and Knuckle Sandwich pairing has me excited to trying similar cocktails with other cigars as we move into the cooler — and eventually cold — weather of the coming months. 

Cheers!

Weekend Trio: Knuckle Sandwich Cigar, Elijah Craig Bourbon, and Joe Bonamassa’s Breakthrough

I kicked off the weekend with a trio of new delights, combining three of my favorite pastimes — bourbon, cigars, and music.

First up was the Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Chef Special 2025. This cigar comes from chef Guy Fieri’s collaboration with Erik Espinosa and is released annually as a limited edition. The 2025 version features a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. After a month of resting in my humidor, I finally gave in and lit one up.

Cutting the cap on the 6 x 55 box-pressed Toro revealed an open draw, surprisingly effortless given the cigar’s heft. Once lit, the draw was spot-on, and the cigar burned evenly, producing generous amounts of flavorful smoke. Fieri reportedly aimed for a ramped-up robustness with the 2025 release, and I’d say he nailed it.

The first puffs delivered a powerful punch of earthy spice and espresso, enough to make my eyes squint from the intensity. As the cigar developed, it revealed layers of dark chocolate and dark fruit, balanced by a touch of sweetness. It quickly settled into a rich, well-balanced, and satisfying smoke.

Next came the liquid pairing — an Elijah Craig Single Barrel from Wegmans, labeled “Caramel Apple”. I picked this bottle up during a recent trip.

Wegmans, a grocery chain we occasionally visit locally, surprised me on a trip to New Jersey. Unlike in Virginia, their stores there sell spirits — and not just a few. They carry large selection including a wide range of store picks. I managed to restrain myself to just two: a Woodford Reserve Double Oaked store pick and this Elijah Craig.

The Elijah Craig Wegmans Caramel Apple Single Barrel sports a 10 year age statement and a 118.6 proof. The Caramel Apple pick carries a 10-year age statement and clocks in at 118.6 proof. Its sweet, fruity aroma is surprisingly mild, but the flavor really shines when sipping. A bold sweetness up front evolves into notes of candied fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, and oak, with an overall impression of cinnamon-laced dessert pastry.

The pairing of the Knuckle Sandwich and Elijah Craig was superb. Both brought richness, depth, and a shared sweetness that made for a robust and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Rounding out the evening was the just-released album from blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Breakthrough. It’s packed with great music, though my only regret is that it’s a 45-minute studio album rather than one of his longer live performances. I’m looking forward to hearing some of these tracks in person the next time we catch him in concert. Still, the timing was perfect — the cigar lasted through two full plays of the album.

Cheers!

Knuckle Sandwich Maduro With OGD 114

I've been looking forward to trying this one for a while. Back in December I picked up the Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Habano and Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Maduro, both in the Robusto vitola.  The Knuckle Sandwhich line is the result a collaboration between chef Guy Fieri and Erik Espinosa. I'm an admitted fan of the boisterous celebrity chef, and hoped the cigars would be representative his personality. Not just another celebrity putting his brand on a product, Fieri is a longtime cigar enthusiast. 

For this outing I selected the Knuckle Sandwich Maduro version. The chocolate hued Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro wrapper holds Nicaraguan binder and filler. The 5 x 52 cigar is box-pressed.

The cigar blasts out of the gate with a flavorful blend of dark coffee, cocoa, and a bit of white pepper. A dark fruit aspect comes in the finish. The draw was on the looser side, with lots of smoke production. The first third of the cigar seemed to burn really fast. I was seriously enjoying the flavors, and started lamenting the predicted short smoking time. To my delight the burn seemed to slow, especially past the midpoint, and I ended up enjoying a surprising 90 minute smoke from the small cigar.

The ash on the cigar did seem to drop easily in short blocks. On several occasions I ended up with the ash section in my lab. There was also as fair amount of loose ash flakes dropping on a consistent basis. As I became aware of the mess I was much more attentive to keeping the stick over the ashtray on the side table. Other than than, I had no burn issues. Even down to the tiny nub, the smoke remained cool, even when I could no longer hold the cigar between my fingers.

I paired the Knuckle Sandwich with Old Grand-Dad 114. This bourbon seemed to be hard to find in Virginia for a while. When we visited Florida last fall I picked up a bottle. Of course, soon after that I started seeing it again on shelves locally.

Upon pouring, the 114 proof point, along with the high rye mash bill, is immediately evident in the aroma wafting from the glass. The spicy heat is apparent, in the nose, backed by a brown sugar sweetness. The flavor profile follows the pattern with brown sugar and caramel sweetness. A rye and cinnamon spice coats the palate, as well as the warming proof. The finish is long, with the flavorful heat lingering.

Despite the many mentions of spice and heat in the paragraph above, Old Grand-Dad 114 is extremely drinkable. There's no harshness, just a full palate sensation. At an approximately $30 price point, it's a value that should not be passed by,

The Knuckle Sandwich Maduro and Old Grand-Dad pairing made for a delightful combination. Two full bodied flavor sensations together were even better than the parts. Both the bourbon and the cigars are ones I'd gladly keep on hand. I am looking forward to trying out the Knuckle Sandwich Habano counterpart very soon.

Cheers!