Vieux Carré
New Orleans' rye-and-cognac aristocrat
About this cocktail
The Vieux Carré is what the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans built around 1937, when bartender Walter Bergeron decided to put rye, cognac, and sweet vermouth in the same glass. Equal parts of each, with a quarter-ounce of Bénédictine and two kinds of bitters. Spirit-forward, lightly herbal, one of the easiest classics to batch. Pour off 17.5 oz from a bottle of rye, add cognac and vermouth, finish with the Bénédictine.
Pick a cocktail to batch
Shaken citrus drinks pick up more water from ice. Spirit-forward stirred drinks need less; freezer batches often need none.
Your Batch
Aim for around 22% ABV or higher to keep the batch pourable in the freezer.
Remove this much spirit to make room. Save it for later.
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At Serve
How to serve
Pour into a chilled rocks glass over a single large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Best within: 3+ months
Rye, cognac, and Bénédictine keep indefinitely; the sweet vermouth is the clock.
Pro Tips
- + Use a 100-proof rye if you can find one. The slight ABV bump keeps the batch firmly in the safe zone
- + Bénédictine is the cocktail's signature; do not substitute. A 375ml bottle lasts forever
- + The original ratio is two dashes each of Peychaud's and Angostura. Both, not one or the other
- + Express a lemon peel over the glass at serve and let it drop in
Avoid These
- − Using cooking-grade cognac (any decent VS will do)
- − Forgetting the bitters; they are not optional
For Hosts
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The Tools
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