Proper Cocktail Hump Day: Vieux Carré

Proper Cocktail Hump Day returns with our third installment of the year. Lent is just around the corner, but before Ash Wednesday comes that storied day of debauchery: Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday. In light of that, we decided to make something New Orleans-inspired–something full of flavor and packing a strong punch. It was clear to us that only a Vieux Carré would suffice.

Named for New Orleans’ famed French Quarter and accented with New Orleans-created Peychaud’s bitters, the Vieux Carré is deceptively smooth, but very potent. The recipe can vary slightly from source to source, but here’s how we did it:

3/4 oz rye whiskey
3/4 oz cognac
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1 barspoon Bénédictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube

And voilà! Simply put, this drink brings it. Come Tuesday, have a big, rich dinner and follow it up with one of these bad boys. You’ll thank me later!