Vieux Carre'

Hello November! I returned from two weeks in Southern California, RL had spent two weeks on the boat, and "whoosh!" suddenly October was gone, history, totally over. We celebrated being home by reconnecting with good friends and hosting a participation "Southern" dinner. Cathy S's opening cocktail, the Vieux Carre, was a tremendous success, richly boozy, decadent and oh-so-smooth. That first round disappeared so quickly that we all required another... not a good thing when the cook still needed to concentrate on Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce plated with a kale salad for the first course (my next post, I promise).

The Vieux Carre (pronounced voh - care - eh) is a classic New Orleans cocktail, created in the 1930s by Walter Bergeron at the Hotel Monteleone. The name comes from the French, referring to the French Quarter as the "old square". The ingredient list sounds odd and heavy, but it sips much better than it reads. I'm not usually wild about cocktails, preferring to sip a smooth single malt instead. However I could make an exception for this drink.

Vieux Carre'

1 1/2 Tbs rye whiskey,(Wild Turkey)

1 1/2 Tbs brandy

1 1/2 Tbs sweet vermouth

1 1/2 tsp Benedictine D.O.M.

2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

2 dashes Angostura bitters

lemon twist for garnish

Combine all ingredients (except lemon twist) in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir well to chill and strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist (or a cherry if you'd rather).

This is the recipe for one drink, doubling it in a shaker works just fine (as we found out). And yes, it could be a new favorite winter drink.