Vieux Carré
Walter Bergeron, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, 1938
The Vieux Carré is rye, cognac and sweet vermouth in equal parts, with a spoon of Bénédictine and two kinds of bitters, stirred and served over one large cube. Rye brings spice, cognac brings dried fruit, and the Bénédictine adds honey and herbs. It is New Orleans in a glass, and a good way to stay in the Mardi Gras spirit after the parades end.
- GlassRocks
- MethodStirred
- Ingredients6
Directions
- Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until very cold.
- Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube.
- Express a lemon twist over the drink and drop it in.
ToolsJiggerMixing glassBar spoonJulep strainerRocks glass
Don't have these? Build a drink from your shelf →History
Walter Bergeron created the Vieux Carré in 1938 as head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, in the room that is now the Carousel Bar. Stanley Clisby Arthur printed it the same year in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em. It splits the base between rye and cognac, the two spirits New Orleans has argued over since the Sazerac.
Making a batch? Scale it for a crowd, add dilution water, and see how many bottles to buy.
What you'll need to buy
Based on 750ml bottles (25.4 oz), rounded up.
Bottle math, generally
Batching dilution
When you batch, there's no ice melting in a shaker, so you add the water yourself: 18% for spirit-forward drinks, 25% for shaken ones.
Don't have these bottles? Work with what you've got.
Tell the Cocktail Creator what's on your shelf and what mood you're in — it'll show you every drink you can make tonight.
Open the Cocktail Creator →