Vieux Carré

Name: Vieux Carré
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients: 30 ml Rye whiskey; 30 ml Cognac (VSOP); 30 ml Sweet (red) vermouth; 1 barspoon Bénédictine; 2 dashes Peychaud's-style anise bitters; 2 dashes Aromatic bitters (Angostura-style)

Rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, a spoon of Bénédictine and two bitters. Rich, spiced and very New Orleans.

MethodStirred
GlassRocks (old fashioned) glass
IceOne large cube
Strengthabout 24.3% ABV
BaseWhiskey, Brandy
Tastestrong, herbal, sweet

Recipe

1 drink

Ingredients for one Vieux Carré
30 ml 1 oz	Rye whiskey
30 ml 1 oz	Cognac (VSOP)
30 ml 1 oz	Sweet (red) vermouth
1 barspoon	Bénédictine
2 dashes	Peychaud's-style anise bitters
2 dashes	Aromatic bitters (Angostura-style)

Garnish. A strip of lemon peel squeezed over the top and dropped in; a cherry as well is common in New Orleans.

Method

Put all the ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
Stir for about 30 seconds, until very cold.
Strain over one large cube (or fresh cubes) in a rocks glass.
Express the lemon peel over the top and drop it in.

Make a batch for a party →

About the Vieux Carré

The Vieux Carré is a stirred drink of rye and cognac with sweet vermouth, a little Bénédictine and both Peychaud's and aromatic bitters. The rye brings spice, the cognac fruit, and the vermouth and herbal liqueur make it round and slightly sweet. Think of it as a Manhattan with more layers.

History

Earliest record 1937: Stanley Clisby Arthur, Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em

Documented

The recipe was published by Stanley Clisby Arthur in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em, which credits it to Walter Bergeron, head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. The name is French for "old square", the local name for the Quarter. Arthur's recipe used equal parts of the three main spirits, half a teaspoon of Bénédictine and a dash of each bitters, served over ice. The hotel's revolving Carousel Bar, where it is still served, came later.

Disputed or unclear: The drink is usually dated to 1938, but Arthur's book is generally given as 1937; editions and dates vary between sources.

Variations

Manhattan. The simpler relative: whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters.
Sazerac. The other great New Orleans whiskey drink, with absinthe and Peychaud's bitters.
De La Louisiane. A 1930s New Orleans drink of rye, sweet vermouth and Bénédictine with absinthe and bitters.

Bartender's notes

A full barspoon of Bénédictine is plenty; any more and it tastes like a liqueur.
Use a VSOP-level cognac; very young brandy makes it hot.