From Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco, which besides being a terrific restaurant is a cocktailian’s paradise, comes this south-of-the-border spin that’s inspired by New Orleans’ famous Vieux Carré Cocktail, invented at the Monteleone Hotel in the 1930s.

We used El Charro Añejo, our favorite tequila at the time of this original post, for this one, although I believe the drink’s creator, bartender Jonny Raglin, specified Herradura. These days (2010) we’d use Partida. To each his or her own!

Nouveau Carré

1-1/2 ounces añejo tequila.
3/4 ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur.
1/4 ounce Lillet blanc.
5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters.
Lemon twist.

Stir with ice for no less than 30 seconds, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Twist the lemon peel over the drink, then garnish with the peel.