Vieux Carre

If an Old Fashioned or Manhattan is your usual, then you'll adore a Vieux Carré cocktail. Sweet yet bitter, smoky yet smooth and undeniably elegant, this complex cognac and whisky cocktail may require a few ingredients but each slow sip is more than worth the effort. This recipe calls for our golden 15 Year Old scotch, aged in French oak casks to compliment the Vieux Carré's origins in New Orlean's French Quarter.

Pronounced: View-Car-Ray

15 Year Old

COCKTAIL RECIPE
FOR
1
SERVE

INGREDIENTS

ml oz

Ingredients	Unit
The Glenlivet 15 Year Old Whisky	25 ml
Martell VS	25 ml
Sweet Vermouth	25 ml
Benedictine	10 ml
Peychaud’s Bitters	2 dashes
Angostura Bitters	1 dash

METHOD

Add all ingredients to a Mixing Vessel over Cubed Ice.
Stir for 10-15 seconds.
Strain into a Rocks Glass over Cubed Ice or a Chilled Coupe.
Garnish with a Zest of Lemon.
Serve.

How to make a perfect Vieux Carre

There’s quite a few ingredients that go into a Vieux Carre. But thankfully the making is more than simple. The trick is to use quality ingredients that are slowly sitred over cubed ice for a chilled, fresh serve. Don’t forget the lemon peel garnish to elevate the drink’s bittersweet taste and elegant look.

What is the best cognac for a Vieux Carre?

A smooth, aromatic cognac is the best match for the other ingredients in a Vieux Carre. Our recipe calles for Martell VS, a fine, rich blend that marries fruity notes of plum and apricot with the sweet almond spice of The Glenlivet 15 Year Old.

The cocktail history of the Vieux Carre

The Vieux Carre is a classic New Orleans creation. Literally meaning “old square” in French, the Vieux Carre is named after the city’s French Quarter where it was invented in the 1930s. The man responsible was Walter Bergeron, head bartender at what would become the Hotel Monteleone’s iconic Carousel Bar. Today you’ll find it on cocktail menus worldwide, but if you find yourself in New Orleans, don’t pass on an opportunity to sip a Vieux Carre where the likes of Ernest Hemmingway and Truman Capote once socialised.

What’s the difference between a Vieux Carre and Manhattan?

The Vieux Carre and a Manhattan both use sweet vermouth rather than the sugar or simple syrup found in an Old Fashioned. However what makes a Vieux Carre stand out is the addition of smooth, fruity cognac and aromatic Benedictine that come together to enhance the whisky’s complex flavour profile.