Vieux Carre Barrel Aged Cocktail

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Barrel Aged Cocktail Recipe – Vieux Carre

If you have had the pleasure of enjoying a View Carre cocktail then you already know how delicious it can be. The Vieux Carre was invented in 1938 by a bartender in New Orleans’ French Quarter.  New Orleans is the birthplace of the cocktail so it is natural that this one was created there. The name Vieux Carre basically means “Old Square”  which is what the French used to call the French Quarter. This cocktail combines the spice of a rye whiskey and the sweetness of brandy and sweet Vermouth. I think you will find the flavor full, complex and aromatic.  This is definitely one drink you will want to savor and not toss it down the ole hatch so quickly. Enjoy the nuances of the different flavors in all areas of your mouth and you will be pleasantly surprised.

We are taking this cocktail to the next level by aging it in one of our small oak aging barrels. The oak barrel has a way of smoothing out the flavor and marrying the different ingredients in a way only a barrel can do. This is a small batch of about 1 liter in our 1 liter barrel so it won’t take long to get some great flavor in it for you.  Enjoy your Vieux Carre Barrel-aged Cocktail. Cheers!

Serving Size

Will make about 12-14 drinks per recipe.  The longer you age it in the barrel the less you will have remaining since some loss due to Angel’s Share is imminent.

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces Straight Rye Whiskey (we used Canadian Rye in our recipe which is not as spicy as an American Straight Rye whiskey)
  • 10 ounces Brandy
  • 10 ounces Sweet Vermouth
  • 3 ounces Benedictine
  • 1/2 ounce Peychaud’s Bitters
  • 1/2 ounce Angostura Bitters
  • Lemon twist for garnish

Directions

Pour all ingredients in to 1 liter barrel (except the lemon twist).  Give it a little shake to mix ingredients. Now the hard part is waiting.  We aged ours in the 1 liter barrel for about 3 weeks.  You could age it anywhere from a week to over a month based on your taste preference. We suggest you take a small sample each week. When it gets to the flavor you like then remove it from the barrel and pour it in a bottle to save the flavor, then start  your next batch.  You could also age this same recipe in a 2 liter barrel (it doesn’t have to be full) and get some great flavor in it a little quicker. Once you are ready to drink, it is served in an old fashioned glass, on the rocks and stirred, garnished with the lemon peel. CHEERS!