Vieux Carré
The Vieux Carré ('old square' — French for the French Quarter) was created by Walter Bergeron at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans in the 1930s. It's a masterclass in complexity: rye whiskey and cognac provide a double-spirit base, sweet vermouth adds body, Bénédictine (or Fernet in this version) adds herbal depth, and both Peychaud's and Angostura bitters tie everything together. It's like an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, and a Sazerac had a sophisticated, worldly child.