Overview

This classic New Orleans cocktail is a close relative to the Manhattan, only with more levels and more decadence. Vieux Carré (pronounced View, or Voo, ka-Ray and translating literally to “Old Square”) is another name for the French Quarter, the popular tourist attraction and oldest part of the Crescent City.

The traditional recipe calls for equal parts whiskey, Cognac and sweet vermouth, which to me comes off a little sweet.  For this reason, I often found I like the idea of a Vieux Carré more than I actually like drinking one, after a few sips I usually wish it was a Manhattan.  This is largely because Cognac is on the softer side, so while it adds nuance, the whiskey’s spice is diminished and the dash of Benedictine ends up piling on sweetness. 

To even things out, I like to bump up the whiskey and pull back a touch on the vermouth.  I also use 2 dashes of each of the bitters (recipes often call for 1).  The result is a more balanced Vieux Carré that retains all of its trademark elegance and richness. With this recipe, it’s a cocktail I’d never trade in.