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.
How to serve
Pour into a chilled rocks glass over a single large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon peel.
★ 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
Batching for a party?
Find out exactly how much wine, beer, and spirits to buy for your guest count.
Recommended Tools
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
You Might Also Like
Manhattan
rye · bourbon
Sophisticated sipping, zero wait time
Old Fashioned
bourbon · rye
Timeless simplicity, perfectly chilled
Boulevardier
bourbon
A whiskey Negroni that improves with time