If you like to drink Manhattans, (and let’s be honest, you should – it’s a delicious cocktail!), you should also try the Vieux Carré. Essentially a Manhattan that has had all of it’s ingredients split, the Vieux carré is both smooth but also very nuanced with an herbal focus thanks to the amazing combination of sweet vermouth and benedictine.
The origin of this cocktail is one of the most popular cities for cocktail creation: New Orleans. Not just this cocktail either – New Orleans is responsible for the creation of many incredible classic drinks we love today: The Hurricane, Sazerac, Ramos Gin Fizz, and of course the Bourbon Street Hand Grenade! (How could I not include that last one?)
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According to the story, this is a post-prohibition drink created in the 1930’s at the famed Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone. Bartender Walter Bergeron created in honor of the French Quarter (or “Old Square”, which in french is “Vieux Carré”).
Just a few years later it was made famous by Stanly Srisby Arthur’s 1937 book, “Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix Them”. The rest is history!
This one’s a must-try cocktail for craft bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts alike.
Here’s how you make a Vieux Carre:
Vieux Carre
Ingredients
- 3/4 oz Rye Whiskey
- 3/4 oz Cognac
- 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1 barspoon Benedictine
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
- 1 Lemon Peel for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice.
- Stir until chilled, and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Express the lemon oil across the top of the cocktail, and garnish with lemon peel.
