Are you a Discerning Drinker?
Join thousands of like-minded professionals and cocktail enthusiasts, receive our weekly newsletters and see pages produced by our community for fellow Discerning Drinkers.
Forum
Vieux Carré Cocktail
A Sweet Manhattan served on-the-rocks with added herbal complexity and an all-important splash and dash or two of New Orleans bitters. Driven by comments...
Peter Griffith
31st January at 16:51
My kids gave me a 2 liter charred oak barrel for Christmas. After much thought I asked my beverage director (aka my son) what he would age in the barrel. His response was to barrel a Vieux Carre. Now transmografied into my version: 600 ml Baltimore Spirits Company 6 year old barrel strength 100% rye whiskey, 500 ml BSC apple brandy, 100 ml BSC Smoked Pommeau liqueur, 600 ml Carpano Antica Formula, 75 ml Benedictine. I pulled .75 liters at 7 days and the rest at 22 days. I lean slightly towards the 7 day version because it's a bit brighter. The 22 day is deeper. Both are spectacular. So much fun!
28th January at 13:00
Tried both the full shots of booze and vermouth versus 3/4 version, 2 Peychauds, 1 angostura and 10ml Benedictine in both cases. The former was pretty intensely boozy, and improved as it diluted. Could taste the individual spirits distinctly. The latter was more firmly in the Manhattan mode - rich and mellow, booze, sweetness and bitters playing off each other. Both delicious but I’d prob plump for the latter as more classical, and waving the magic cocktail wand where the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Cheers everyone!
23rd January at 19:40
This has been my favorite cocktail since seeing it here a few years ago. When you are in a Manhattan mood but want something a bit more interesting or complex (which is always).
25th September 2025 at 17:23
I’m really enjoying the way Benedictine is changing things up. It’s a very interesting cocktail. 👍
21st September 2025 at 16:45
Due to various first world dire straits, I replaced the Benedictine with Drambuie, carpano for the vermouth, and served up - and was very comfortable with the results 😊
2nd September 2025 at 01:21
I just tried this new version of the Vieux Carré recipe, and I like it a lot. It tasted great, and (although maybe this shouldn't be a consideration) it fit perfectly in the glass I used for it. I think this will be the version of this classic drink that I default to.
14th August 2025 at 06:06
I've started using Baasil Hayden dark rye, and I'm really happy with the results. There's a touch of ruby port in this rye - just enough to smooth out the peppery edge.
It also blends well into a Manhattan. I make both of these in batches, and keep them at full strength in the freezer. Super convenient!
It also blends well into a Manhattan. I make both of these in batches, and keep them at full strength in the freezer. Super convenient!
13th August 2025 at 20:56
Great Drink. I personally use 1/6 of an oz of Benedictine and 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and orange peel for garnish.
13th July 2025 at 03:40
Manhattans aren't my go to but this one's really good! Thank you Simon.
12th June 2025 at 01:54
Definitely has the base taste of a Manhattan but the Cognac give it just a bit different depth. Very good. Easy on the taste buds. Love it!
!
!
25th April 2025 at 00:23
I used the proportions given in ounces -- 3/4 each of rye, cognac, and vermouth, 1/3 of Benedictine -- and it was lovely. A new favorite.
29th March 2025 at 23:18
Tried with bourbon and not rye. Found it very interesting, quite strong, maybe for ending a cocktail night. Would like to try it with rye. Rated 4/5.
18th January at 09:05
yep, with Rye it’s much brighter and spicier, definitely fitting better here.
7th March 2025 at 17:07
After finally purchasing a bottle of Benedictine I'm exploring new cocktails. I can also recommend Titre Provisoire (thanks Loz H) but this is even better! I don't know what it tastes like with the reduced volume of Benedictine....and we aren't going to find out. This is perfect! Thank you
5th March 2025 at 01:59
Mardi Gras 2025. Being a fan of New Orleans food and drink we are having this as are aperitif for a Mardi Gras dinner. For a change (and since we both love absinthe) we added a mist of absinthe to the cocktail. It added a little extra twist and flavour. Will add it again.
24th January 2025 at 03:42
Since sourcing some Benedictine DOM a few months ago I've made this as an alternative to my more regular manhattans or old fashioned.
A month ago I picked up a bottle of a one time release Lot 40 Rye cask strength finished in cherry wood barrels. It was interesting but not something I'd buy again in most drinks ... till I tried it in this. It was stellar.
Now wondering if there's a specific cognac people find best for this!
A month ago I picked up a bottle of a one time release Lot 40 Rye cask strength finished in cherry wood barrels. It was interesting but not something I'd buy again in most drinks ... till I tried it in this. It was stellar.
Now wondering if there's a specific cognac people find best for this!
1st January 2025 at 02:32
This is a wonderful nightcap. Make sure you indulge yourself with a good quality cognac! I do 0.75 oz for the cognac, whiskey and vermouth along with 0.5 oz for the Benedictine. 2 dashes each of the Peychauds and Angostura.
1st November 2024 at 08:39
This has long been a top-5 cocktail for me, and I've pretty much always used the above recipe with 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) measures. The Benedictine and bitters seem to tie it all together, so my interest has been in sussing out the best brands to use. I think I finally hit on the supreme combo (for me)... Dad's Hat 90 proof rye, Cognac Leyrat VS, and Cocchi di Torino - a combo that was out of this world. Perfect.
18th October 2024 at 14:00
Was planning this for tonight and when looking at the ingredient measures I thought something was not right then noticed the information below but also this is one of the recipes I had written down in my messy little book. So original recipe for me tonight 🙃
11th October 2024 at 01:03
I have been using 1/6 shot of a local herbal Absinthe instead of DOM and Peychaud and it was really balanced and complex. But, now I have added Peychaud and it feels lost/mixed in and too much anised...
11th August 2024 at 17:41
Fabulous drink! Very stiff yet bursting with flavour, the complexity is insane!
29th June 2024 at 12:07
As part of my “Find a cocktail made with this litre bottle of Punt e Mes that I actually like”, I made this (one of my favourite cocktails) with 90 proof rye, VSOP armagnac and a Luxardo cherry and slice of pineapple dropped in (as per the original recipe).
I still feel it would be better with M&R Rosso (come at me, vermouth snobs).
I still feel it would be better with M&R Rosso (come at me, vermouth snobs).
10th September 2024 at 16:58
Punt e Mes is a very heavy, intense vermouth. I've only drunk it once, while trying to find my perfect Negroni (and it completely overpowered and mugged the drink. Carpano is best).
Until the recent revision, Difford's Guide classified sweet vermouths as 'light and unaged', 'aged', 'full-bodied', .. and the current Strucchi vermouth fell into the unaged (as far as I remember), so together with Cocchi Storico, Dollin rouge, and the Martini(?).
The Punt e Mes would be too heavy.
Until the recent revision, Difford's Guide classified sweet vermouths as 'light and unaged', 'aged', 'full-bodied', .. and the current Strucchi vermouth fell into the unaged (as far as I remember), so together with Cocchi Storico, Dollin rouge, and the Martini(?).
The Punt e Mes would be too heavy.
15th March 2024 at 22:15
I made this with Wild Turkey 101 Rye & Dolin rouge vermouth. I'm getting a lot of vermouth, so wondering if one or both of these isn't the best choice for this? Interesting drink, nonetheless!
19th March 2024 at 04:49
I’m no expert but Wild turkey is not my favorite rye. Michter’s, sazerac, Whistle pig, or buffalo trace!
3rd March 2024 at 10:00
Why IBA recipe is in cocktail glass or coupette?
Thanks
Thanks
3rd March 2024 at 16:57
I suspect the writer of the IBA recipe hasn't enjoyed a Vieux Carré in New Orleans or at the Carousel Bar so applied their own preference to the serve.
21st January 2024 at 01:51
What an interesting cocktail! Didn’t have Benedictine so I subbed Drambuie. Otherwise I followed the main recipe. It is interesting that this one has a lively comment discussion.
19th March 2024 at 04:42
I’m glad I saw your comment! I’m out of Benedictine but I have Drambuie. So I was staring at my shelf trying to decide if I should go with a sub on this one. Decision made! It seems like it’s a pretty flexible cocktail.
7th January 2024 at 22:23
We were out of sweet vermouth and subbed Amaro Montenegro. It was delicious! Looking forward to trying it with different Amari or even Becherovka.
26th March 2024 at 05:44
I came back to this cocktail tonight. Although I have sweet vermouth, Ive recently started learning more about Amaros. Amari? I agree that Amaro Montenegro is an excellent substitution in this situation. The flavors work really well together.
21st December 2023 at 02:00
I revisited this one as the cocktail of the day and saw it’s changed to rye. I “accidentally” bumped the DOM up to 1/2oz. Those two changes for me have been positive ones! I like it even more now!
17th November 2023 at 02:33
Have you tried the version with the 3/4oz split of rye vermouth cognac and 1/4oz Benedictine with 14 drops each of Peychauds and angostura? I can’t recall where I saw that but it balances quite well
30th July 2024 at 21:23
This looks like the pre-2021 recipe in Diffords Guide, now reproduced above, given as 3:3:3:1 and equal dashes of angostura and creole bitters.
13th November 2023 at 01:28
While not the way it is made at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone, we adjusted the recipe to be 1 oz of the rye and cognac. This helped lessen the sweetness of the final cocktail.
Did serve over large ice as in the Carousel Bar as the melting ice does change the dynamics of the flavours as you drink the cocktail.
Did serve over large ice as in the Carousel Bar as the melting ice does change the dynamics of the flavours as you drink the cocktail.
13th November 2023 at 18:54
Thank you. That is worth bearing in mind, since at this moment I am enjoying mine in a Nick & Nora (naughty but nice).
3rd November 2023 at 02:50
Quite the drastic change in meaning conveyed by the single letter typo in the Près du Quai description.
3rd November 2023 at 07:53
One man's junk is another man's funk! Thanks for spotting. Now corrected.
28th October 2023 at 00:50
I only had B&B and my vermouth was old - and I really liked it, lol!