COCKTAIL DU JOUR

The Vieux Carré... a pre-Prohibition classic.

A few weeks ago, we discovered yet another Tasty Beverage.

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I were dining at Seed, one of the new places that has enriched the local dining scene since opening several months ago.  In addition to a well-executed menu featuring local ingredients - I avoid the use of the term “artisanal” because it’s so fucking trendy - the bartender there is a master of the craft.  His Carte des Boozes features a goodly number of vintage - i.e., pre-Prohibition - cocktails made with high-quality alcohols, and every so often I will indulge myself.

His Sazerac cocktail certainly qualifies as a classic, given that it is claimed by some to be the oldest American cocktail - but I didn’t order one of those.  Instead, I opted for the Vieux Carré, which is of considerably more recent vintage but with a name that recalls its origins in that selfsame French Quarter in N’Awlins whence comes the Sazerac.

Ahhh, the Vieux Carré.  Here’s how you can make your own:

1 ounce rye whiskey (mine used High West Double Rye - yum)
1 ounce Cognac
1 ounce sweet vermouth (mine was made with Punt e Mes)
½ teaspoon Bénédictine
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice, then strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass or a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon or orange.

At Seed, my drink came in a glass with a single, huge, round ball of ice and a substantial orange twist.  It was superb.  Even the Missus tasted it and pronounced it excellent - surprising, since she is not normally a fan of the Brown Goods.

Happily, I have all of the necessary ingredients right here at home in my Lacquer Liquor Locker.  Perhaps a little further experimentation is in order...