Vieux Carré

This is Tennessee Williams week on my calendar. The other day I had a drink commemorating the anniversary of the first production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Today is Williams' birthday, and the drink is an old 1930s-era cocktail from New Orleans called a Vieux Carré (Old Quarter).

It's basically a sophisticated Manhattan: literally a dab of Benedictine (1/2 teaspoon; you've read my feelings on minuscule quantities), a dash each of Angostura and Peychaud's bitters, cognac, rye, and sweet vermouth.

I like drinks like this one that have a mix of flavors and types of alcohol, and don't rely on lime or lemon juice or some orange-based liqueur for a kick. The Peychaud's sort of gets lost among the other flavors. If I made this again I might double the dashes and skip the Angostura.

It's a pretty potent cocktail. Drink too many and you may end up on that streetcar named desire.