The Spirits #149: The Vieux Carré

It's pronounced Voo-Ka-RAY, apparently. Americans, eh?

~ THE VIEUX CARRÉ ~

25ml rye (or bourbon)
25ml brandy
25ml Italian vermouth
10ml Bénédictine
Dash Angostura bitters
Dash Peychaud’s bitters

For goodness sake, freeze your glass. A coupe. Now mix the cocktail. Add all the ingredients to you mixing vessel along with copious ice and give it a patient stir for about 30 seconds. Now strain the drink into the cold class and garnish with a lemon twist AND a cocktail cherry.

Some Vieux Carré notes:

1) The Vieux Carré is a New Orleans classic, created by Walter Bergeron at the Hotel Monteleone just after Prohibition, named after the city’s old quarter. The Monteleone is famous for its revolving Carousel bar:

2) The original was served down over ice. (Bergeron also used a pineapple wedge garnish… crazy!) But modern bartenders often serve it up. I am increasingly of the opinion that cocktails should be served up if at all possible. Not only does it save us from the appalling shame of having non-transparent ice. In this case, it also establishes a thematic link with the Manhattan. Indeed: I sometimes think that the Vieux Carré is to the Manhattan what the Sazerac is the Old Fashioned, i.e. the super-deluxe, madly complecadent (decaplex?) New Orleans upgrade. It’s an expensive cocktaiL and it tastes it too.

3) If you’ve no Peychaud’s - the classic NOLA bitters - I’d suggest maybe a tiny teaspoon of Campari and a drop of absinthe. Rye as opposed to bourbon really does make a difference. It’s stiffer for a start.

4) Succumbed to a cold this week so I’m going to keep this brief. But dee below for a New Orleans playlist and your shopping list for next time.

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🖊️I am Richard Godwin.
🛒 Running low on booze? Visit the SPIRITS STORE.
🧋My instructions for sugar syrup, ice, grenadine, orgeat, etc are here.
🧑‍🏫 My 10 RULES FOR MAKING COCKTAILS are here.
⚗️ My bottle recommendations are here.
📃 The full A-Z recipe archive is here.
➡️ Please find a round up of organisations helping Ukrainians here.
🏥 And here is a list of trusted charities who are helping people in Gaza.
🍒 And here is my favourite poem about maraschino cherries.

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PLAYLIST

Since we’re in New Orleans:

THIS PLAYLIST UPDATES AUTOMATICALLY EACH WEEK. The idea is, you download it and return to it each week in your Spotify. If there was an old song you’d like to hear again, you’ll find it RIGHT HERE in the ongoing archive of 2021 playlists.

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OTHER BOTTLES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

🐿️ Amaretto
🧡 Aperol
🍑 Apricot Brandy
🕊️ Bénédictine
❄️ Brancamenta
☕ Coffee Liqueur
🍌 Crème de Banane
🍫 Crème de Cacao
🫐 Crème de Cassis
🌷 Cynar
🌸Elderflower Liqueur
🏝️ Falernum
🦅 Fernet-Branca
🌿 Green Chartreuse
🐻 Kümmel
🍒 Maraschino
🌵 Mezcal
🦙 Pisco
🐂 Sherry
🌻 Suze

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SHOPPING LIST:

Scotch. Coconut water.

🥥