An iconic New Orleans cocktail that was once forgotten

Unlike many other classics in the cocktail world, the origin of the Vieux Carré is well documented. The drink was officially created in 1938 by Walter Bergeron, bartender at the Swan Room of Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. The name Vieux Carré also refers to the French Quarter, the city’s historic district founded in the 18th century, known for its lively streets, wrought-iron balconies, and festive nights.

According to the story, Bergeron crafted this cocktail as a tribute to the diverse groups living in the French Quarter at the time: sweet vermouth represented the Italians, Cognac and Bénédictine the French, rye whiskey the Americans, and the bitters represented the Caribbean community.

"The cocktail tastes like a cross between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan," explains Marvin Allen, the current bar manager of the Carousel Bar (the Swan Room’s new name since 1949), renowned for its rotating counter. The bar makes a full rotation every 15 minutes, powered by a quarter-horsepower motor, a bicycle-style chain, and about 200 stainless-steel ball bearings!

Even though the Vieux Carré was created at Hotel Monteleone, it hasn’t always been the bar’s most-ordered drink. "It was one of those cocktails that nearly vanished in the ’60s, ’70s, and even into the ’80s," notes Marvin Allen. "Back then it was all vodka drinks with straws or wines like rosé and Lambrusco. And most of the spirits tasted nothing like what we have today."

Was the Vieux Carré doomed to vanish from collective memory?

Ferrand 1840 Original Formula: the Cognac behind Hotel Monteleone’s Vieux Carré

The early 2000s cocktail revival and the renewed respect for forgotten classics put an end to that decline. New Orleans supercharged the trend with Tales of the Cocktail, the annual convention for bartenders and cocktail lovers across the country.

Today, a new wave of aficionados heads to the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone for a textbook Vieux Carré made with Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula. Developed by Maison Ferrand’s Alexandre Gabriel in partnership with celebrated cocktail historian David Wondrich, this Cognac revives 19th-century techniques through meticulous research.

With notes of ripe, juicy grapes layered with acacia blossom and cedar, followed by a warm palate that lingers on honey and spice, Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula is the essential ingredient for an authentic Vieux Carré true to the spirit of New Orleans and its blend of cultures and flavors. The recipe below will whisk you straight to the bustling French Quarter that inspired Walter Bergeron. And as they say in New Orleans: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Vieux Carré Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 3/4 oz Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula
  • 3/4 oz Rye Whiskey
  • 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 teaspoons Bénédictine
  • 1 dash Angostura Bitters
  • 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
  • Maraschino cherries

Method

  1. Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add all the ingredients
  2. Stir with a long bar spoon
  3. Add fresh ice to your glass
  4. Place a strainer over the mixing glass and pour the contents into your glass
  5. Skewer three maraschino cherries and set them on top

Glass: Old-Fashioned

Your cocktail is ready! Cheers!

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