The Vieux Carré cognac cocktail was created in the French Quarter of New Orleans at the Hotel Monteleone on 214 Royal Street. It is a drink that blends French cognac with American whiskey.

How to Make a Vieux Carré

The Vieux Carré cocktail is made by mixing varying proportions of VS or VSOP Cognac, whiskey, vermouth and bitters.

Here are three Vieux Carré recipes from Courvoisier, Hennessy and D’usse:

The Courvoisier Vieux Carré

1 ½ parts Courvoisier VS;
1 part rye;
¾ part Carpano Antica;
Benedictine; Angostura bitters.
Mix in a cocktail glass and stir; garnish with orange peel

The Hennessy Vieux Carré

1 oz Hennessy VSOP
1 oz rye whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
splash benedictine
dash angostura bitters
dash paychaud’s bitters
Garnish lemon in a martini or coupe glass

The D’usse Vieux Carré

1 part D’USSÉ™ VSOP Cognac
1 part rye whisky
1 part MARTINI® ROSSO sweet vermouth
Dash of PEYSHAUD’S® Bitters
Dash of ANGOSTURA® Aromatic Bitters
½ part of BÉNÉDICTINE® Liqueur
Glassware: rocks glass
Garnish: lemon twist

The Vieux Carré Story

The Vieux Carré cognac cocktail was created by Walter Bergeron in New Orleans at the Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar in 1938. Mr. Bergeron invented and served the Vieux Carré cocktail prior to the installation of the rotating bar in 1949 of the now aptly named Carousel Bar. A visit to the French Quarter in New Orleans is a must for visitors to that city and a “ride” on the Carousel Bar while drinking a Vieux Carré is one of the highlights of that journey.

The Hotel Monteleone has been featured in the movies Double Jeopardy, Retirement, Glory Road, The Last Time and 12 Rounds. Writers, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Truman Capote, Anne Rice, Stephen Ambrose, and John Grisham were frequent visitors to the Hotel.