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Vieux Carré
Posted: July 15, 2026
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About
The Vieux Carré (pronounced 'Voo Ka-Ray') is a New Orleans French Quarter classic created in 1938 by Walter Bergeron, head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone's legendary Carousel Bar. Named after the French term for the Old Square — the city's historic heart — it marries equal parts rye whiskey and cognac with sweet vermouth and a generous measure of Bénédictine, a centuries-old herbal liqueur of extraordinary complexity, finished with both Peychaud's Creole bitters and Angostura. The result is a spirit-forward sipper that drinks like a Manhattan with a passport: rich, aromatic, and unmistakably New Orleans. From 27th place in 2018 to #3 on Difford's Guide's 2025 global top 100, the Vieux Carré's relentless climb is a testament to how a perfectly balanced stirred cocktail never goes out of style.
Ingredients
1 dash Angostura Bitters
0.75 oz Sweet Vermouth
0.75 oz Cognac
0.75 oz Rye Whiskey
0.33 oz Benedictine Herbal Liqueur
1 piece(s) Lemon Peel
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
Instructions
- Chill an old-fashioned glass, or place a large ice cube inside.
- Combine the rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Peychaud's bitters, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir well for 30 seconds until thoroughly chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain into the prepared old-fashioned glass over a large ice cube.
- Hold the lemon peel skin-side down over the glass and twist firmly to express the oils, then run it around the rim and use as garnish.