Vieux Carré Cocktail

One of the things that I enjoy about Facebook is being reminded of past posts – they always bring back happy memories (I try to only post good things so that helps). This week I was reminded that it had been two years since Ed and I visited New Orleans. It was nice to look at the pictures I’d posted and to relive some of the very fun times we had. Fortunately I don’t rely on Facebook to remind me of everything as I’d already planned to post this recipe this week.

A bit of New Orleans trivia. Do you know what ‘Vieux Carré’ means in French?  “Old square.” New Orleans was originally developed around a central square called ‘Vieux Carré.’ Today we know this area as the French Quarter. Proper New Orleans pronunciation is ‘voo cah-ray’ or ‘voh cah-ray.’

The Vieux Carré cocktail is credited to Walter Bergeron, a bartender at the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone, in the 1930s. We stayed at this hotel and enjoyed a few drinks at the rotating Carousel Bar. Like a carousel, it makes a rotation every 15 minutes. It’s a very fun and lively bar – well worth visiting even if you’re not staying at the hotel.

Bergeron’s creation is what one would call a ‘spirit forward’ drink. It’s best described as a cross between a Manhattan and a Sazerac (another New Orleans favorite). Most of these ingredients (rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth and Angostura Bitters) can be found in a well-stocked bar – with Bénédictine and Peychaud’s Bitters possibly being the exceptions.

Bénédictine is a French liqueur made from a blend of 27 flowers, berries, herbs, roots, and spices. When I first smelled it, I was reminded of the old Vicks 44 cough syrup – before it was flavored. I mention this as you don’t want to overdo the Bénédictine. Please make the effort to measure it. If you’re not familiar with Peychaud’s bitters they are native to New Orleans and were originally produced by a local apothecary.

This is the ideal drink to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.