La Flor de Selva Genuss im The Chedi Andermatt und 2 Cocktail Pairings %

La Flor de Selva is a light cigar. At The Chedi Andermatt, I sampled the Tempo with two cocktails: one with alcohol and one without. Fantastic. It was me-time again. Just really switch off. A day full of enjoyment without having to work.

The pairings for the cigar: composed exclusively for Zigarren.Zone Social Network

Please come into the humidor of The Chedi Andermatt and enjoy the 24-second clip:

The pairing for this article was composed especially for Zigarren.Zone. You won't find them on the cocktail menu at The Chedi Andermatt. But, who knows, maybe you'll be lucky and just order them when you're a guest there. Maybe they will prepare one of these cocktails for you? Just ask for it.

The Chedi Andermatt La Flor de Selva — The selection of the cigar in the walk-in humidor.

The Chedi Andermatt Flor de Selva — The photo was taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the first lockdowns were eased in 2021. Staff wearing masks and gloves.

The cocktails and the idea behind La Flor de Selva Tempo

The two cocktails underlined the light La Flor de Selva in an almost magical way. As always, Marie Gerber, Manager Bar & Lounges, put her heart and soul into composing two cocktails that harmonize perfectly with the cigar. They counterbalance the different aromas of the cigar and in turn support other flavor nuances.

Marie Gerber and her team are creative and try out lots of things. Sometimes they believe that they have found the perfect combination in theory, only to realize during the practical test that it wasn't a big hit after all. On the other hand, they keep finding out in theory: "Well, that's probably nothing", and then in practice: "Wow, that's great!" Two great compositions have been created here, thank you very much!

Cocktail no. 1: Petit Jardin (small garden), non-alcoholic

Undone bitter orange
Carrot juice
Homemade paprika syrup
Homemade blood orange espuma
Garnish: Cress
Preparation: Stir

The idea for this cocktail:

Maya Selva is known for her love of creating taste sensations for family and friends in the kitchen using fresh produce from the market.
This fresh taste experience at The Chedi Andermatt is also available for non-alcoholic enjoyment.
Fresh drink emphasizes the floral, mild notes of the cigar.
French name of the cocktail "Petit Jarding", as Maya Selva has a French background.

Cocktail no. 2: The Element, with alcohol

Cachaca (Brazilian spirit made from sugar cane juice)
Homemade apple-coriander syrup
Homemade passionfruit lime syrup
Homemade fermented pineapple
Garnish: Dried pineapple & coriander
Preparation: Stir

The idea for this cocktail:

The apple is a symbol of perfection, just as Maya pays attention to the details of her cigars.
Coriander: Healing effect in connection with The Chedi Andermatt (Asian & healing place where you come to rest, so to speak).
Fermentation in a double sense (cigar & drink).
Pineapple is a symbol of hospitality & cordiality as well as decadent luxury.

The cigar: La Flor de Selva Tempo (Gran Robusto).

The Chedi Andermatt: The Cigar Library — The Cigar Library, the cigar lounge at The Chedi Andermatt.

Conclusion La Flor de Selva with 2 cocktail pairings

I was super pleasantly surprised by how the La Flor de Selva tasted with the two cocktails. This light cigar series is not normally my cup of tea because it is too boring for me. This time, however, this light La Flor de Selva appealed to me. The taste was super pleasant: bittersweet, slightly acidic and lots of roasted aromas (retronasal) of coffee beans and wood.

The combination with these two cocktails supported the cigar brilliantly. The first cocktail was sweet, but not too strong and harmonized perfectly with the delicately bitter taste of La Flor de Selva. It was a balanced counterbalance.

The second cocktail was alcoholic (not too strong) and very refreshing: slightly sweet and very slightly citrusy. This counterbalance and the citrus also harmonized perfectly with the light acidity of the cigar and the wood.

Just have a spontaneous look

You don't have to be a guest at The Chedi Andermatt to enjoy this. You can drop in spontaneously and sit down in The Cigar Library. Or in the spacious outdoor area. The cigar service is first-class and second to none. The cigar prices are the same as at a specialist retailer without the typical hotel surcharge. You can also find Cuban limitadas here. Depending on the brand and availability, they may cost a little more, or even "normal".

To conclude, I will say one more time: Make you horny!

The cigar freaks from Andermatt

Tim-Martin Weber (Executive Assistant Manager) says: "We are cigar freaks!" Back then, he knew how cigars could become an incredible USP (Unique Selling Proposition) at The Chedi Andermatt. "We do something here that no other hotel does! Either we do it right, or we don't do it at all. We have opted for the former."

When Tim-Martin Weber took over as EAM, the cigars at The Chedi Andermatt were in a desolate state. Nobody cared. Condensation was running down the walls of the walk-in humidor. "I almost cried when I saw it," he said. "I came up with a crazy concept and got the GO from the management."

Such a change does not happen overnight. It takes months and years to train this philosophy of enjoyment and to inspire the staff. It needed a fresh start. The humidor was completely overhauled and some of the cigars were disposed of.

"Do you fancy cigars and would you like to take over the cigar service with a team?" Tim-Martin Weber asked Marie Gerber in January 2018. She immediately said "YES!" and he replied: "Go for it!"

And the crazy dream became reality. With a lot of attention to detail, a lot of passion, a lot of daring, many beads of sweat on the forehead and also on other parts of the body - and above all with a lot of enthusiasm and passion for cigars - the once spiritual state materialized into physical reality. As the saying goes: "If there is nothing on the inside, there is nothing on the outside. If everything is on the inside, everything is on the outside."

This is exactly how the cigar business is celebrated at The Chedi Andermatt. Should I perhaps mention that ultra-rare cigars are purchased for tens of thousands - and thousands - of euros, Swiss francs and pounds? Or that they organized a tasting for me of a 136-year-old La Corona cigar, Havana, Cuba? Or that they discovered a Cuban cigar brand and bought a box that was produced around the Spanish colonial period in Cuba and was called "La Confederacion Suiza"? I shouldn't mention something like that, should I? For us normal connoisseurs, that might make our heads twitch 😉

But: to create an insane USP, you have to be a bit insane. "Mach geil", this expression will always be with me from now on.