Meet me at the Carousel
Posted on July 23, 2008
Filed Under Anita & Cameron Crotty | Leave a Comment
Anita & Cameron Crotty are San Francisco-based writers, bloggers and foodies. They blog about cocktails and the culinary experience at Married…With Dinner.
Before, during, and after official Tales of the Cocktail sessions (and, in fact, well into the wee hours) one of the best places to find participants is around the Monteleone’s famed Carousel Bar, where the barstools actually revolve around the bartenders. The whole room glitters with classic merry-go-round decor, and a piano player sings old standards under a ’star-lit’ ceiling.
The Monteleone’s signature cocktail is the venerable Vieux Carre, a nod to the hotel’s perfect location in the heart of the French Quarter. A lovely blend of rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and two kinds of bitters, this post-Prohibition creation has had a happy home at the Monteleone since its invention in 1938 by head bartender Walter Bergeron.
To sample a Vieux Carre (and plenty of other fabulous drinks), make plans to attend Tales of the Cocktail in July 2009. When you get there, you’ll know where to find us.
