The Vieux Carré

Iconic New Orleans Cocktails

by John DeMers

116 Pages / 5.00 x 7.00 x 0.50 in / 11 images

Hardcover

9780807178553

Published: February 2023

$19.95

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In this fascinating little book, John DeMers tells the story of the Vieux Carré cocktail against the evolving backdrop of the ever-rich cocktail culture of New Orleans. Mixologist Walter Bergeron created this distinctive drink in the 1930s at the Hotel Monteleone; it was later dubbed “the Cocktail that Spins” in honor of the slowly turning Carousel Bar at the hotel. It’s an iconic cocktail that, in recent years, was rarely ordered or prepared, though that is changing as a new generation of cocktail enthusiasts rediscover the old ways.

The Vieux Carré draws on the local proto-cocktail, the Sazerac, as well as several booze-forward classics including the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, and, from Italy, the Negroni. DeMers tells all that is known of Walter Bergeron’s early life and also examines the ingredients in this cocktail and how each of them made its way to the Crescent City.

New Orleans native John DeMers has spent more than half a century as a news reporter, TV and radio host, and editor. He is the author of fifty-eight books of fiction and nonfiction.

“The Vieux Carré is a great little work that takes you on a journey to the New Orleans of the Prohibition era and beyond. I like to think of the Big Easy as the ‘City of Spirits’—both the spirits you can drink and the history that is all around you when you start to explore it. This book has all of the twists and turns of the French Quarter on a foggy night, and you can’t help but be drawn into the story of the unique drink that helped make New Orleans one of the world capitals of cocktails.” ~Kurt Maitland, author of Drink and The Infused Cocktail Handbook

“New Orleans is never far from John DeMers’s heart, and he tackles one of our most beloved drinks in his new book about the Vieux Carré cocktail. DeMers tells the riveting story of the drink’s creator, Walter Bergeron, and how his life and creation unfold the rich history of New Orleans in the Prohibition era.” ~Neal Bodenheimer, coauthor of Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em

“This effervescent ode to one of the greatest American cocktails is one jigger history and two fingers unapologetic promotion. All I know is I need to find a proper bar after reading this.” ~Evan D. Turner, sommelier at Krasi Meze & Wine

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