I admit to drinking almost anything with a pipe, but not with any great intention. For me, coffee isn't
optimal, though I drink it with a pipe often. Coffee is a flavor experience and a mild upper, and it gets
in the way of a pipe for me. Most tea, hot or cold, goes really well. No herbal or sweet stuff. P&W Tips
or any green or black tea usually sets off even a sophisticated blend pretty well, English or aro. Plain
water goes well. Scotch is too edgy for me; I like it by itself, but not with tobacco. Bourbon can make
a good match, but more with aros, not so much with English -- there's enough going on with a good
English or Balkan. Colas, no; diet colas, never. Soft drinks, nyet. If I get to enjoying the pipe, I sometimes
abandon the beverage, except to clear my palate. Beer and ale type beverages coat my mouth and make
me feel overfull and don't complement a pipe at all, though I know I'm in the minority here, big time.