Vieux Carré

Cocktail· Rye

Vieux Carré

The Vieux Carré is a stirred New Orleans cocktail of equal parts rye whiskey, cognac, and sweet vermouth with a teaspoon of Bénédictine and both Peychaud's and Angostura bitters. It was created at the Hotel Monteleone's Carousel Bar in 1937 by bartender Walter Bergeron. The 1:1:1 spirit split is the historical recipe; resist the urge to up the whiskey.

4 min ModerateRocksStirred

Ingredients

  • 1 oz rye whiskey
  • 1 oz cognac
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  • 1 tsp Bénédictine
  • 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
The Stirred Set

Built for stirred drinks

The Stirred Set

Mixing Glass · Bar Spoon · Strainer · Jigger

$60.00 Save $15.00

Method

  1. Combine rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and both bitters in a mixing glass.
  2. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over one large clear ice cube.
  4. Express a lemon peel over the surface, then garnish with the peel and a brandied cherry.

Garnish

Lemon peel and brandied cherry

Pro tip

The 1:1:1 spirit split is the original from the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone; the bitters and Bénédictine carry the structure, not the whiskey.

From the bar

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