Vieux
The Dutch drink that resembles cognac but is not cognac, with almost every bottle at exactly 35%. What vieux is, where that percentage comes from, and how to drink it.
The brands behind vieux
Two Dutch houses that fill the rest of the shelf alongside their vieux.
Hooghoudt
Groningen family business since 1888, known for jenever, beerenburg, and vieux.
About Hooghoudt →De Kuyper
Schiedam family business best known for its liqueurs, but making vieux for just as long.
About De Kuyper →Hennessy
If you want the French original instead of the Dutch variant, start here: distilled from wine and bottled at 40%.
About Hennessy →Our drinks page lists all the brands we cover, from liqueur to whisky.
Every vieux listed, by brand
2 brands and 2 flavors, each with its own page about taste, cocktails, and the right glass.
Not cognac, and that is exactly the point
Vieux is a Dutch drink that resembles the taste of cognac without being cognac. Cognac is a protected name: it may only come from the region of the same name in France and must be distilled from wine. When the drink became popular in the Netherlands but remained too expensive, Dutch distilleries got to work themselves with grain alcohol, flavorings, and usually some real brandy. The result was given the French name vieux, meaning 'old', and has been found in almost every Dutch drinks cabinet since the 1960s.
What stands out when you look at the shelf is that almost every bottle is exactly 35%. That is no coincidence but a category standard: vieux has become the Dutch standard, and the brands follow suit. The differences between the bottles therefore lie not in the strength but in the sweetness, oak notes, and how much real brandy is used in the blend.
In short
Five bottles, all at 35%
In this category, the percentage does not vary. The difference lies in the sweetness, oak notes, and price.
Hooghoudt Vieux
From the Groningen family business that also makes jenever and beerenburg. Round and lightly sweet, with pronounced vanilla.
De Kuyper Vieux
From the Schiedam distillery best known for its liqueurs. Smooth and approachable, with caramel and wood.
Hoppe Vieux
One of the best-known names on this shelf, and a staple in Dutch cafés. Full-bodied and sweet.
Hartevelt Vieux
One of the more affordable bottles in the category, making it the classic choice for vieux-cola.
Dujardin Vieux
Despite its French name, it is a Dutch product, just like the rest of this selection. Sweet and round.
If you are looking for the French version, you end up with cognac: distilled from wine, at least 40% ABV and aged for years in oak.
Sweet, with vanilla and caramel
Vanilla & caramel
Sweet vanilla and caramel, with a light woody note. Less fruity and less complex than cognac, but also considerably less sharp.
Round and sweet
Full-bodied and distinctly sweet, with caramel, vanilla and a hint of dried fruit. At 35%, the alcohol stays well in the background.
Short and warm
A short, warm finish with wood and sugar. Never harsh; that makes vieux the first brown spirit for many people.
Flavor profile of an average 35% vieux. Cognac scores higher on fruitiness and strength, and considerably lower on sweetness.
Three ways to drink vieux
Vieux does not need to be chilled or allowed to breathe. It is a drink you simply pour.
Neat at room temperature
4 cl in a tumbler or a small shot glass. Chilling it serves no purpose: the sweetness and vanilla come through best at room temperature.
Glass: tumbler →With cola
5 cl vieux in a highball glass full of ice, topped up with cola and a lemon slice. The Dutch counterpart to rum and cola, and the most commonly served version for decades.
Cuba Libre recipe →In coffee
A splash in black coffee with a dollop of whipped cream on top. This is how vieux found its way into many Dutch households, and the vanilla fits seamlessly.
Coffee cocktails →Cocktails with vieux
Vieux is rarely used in cocktails; it is drunk neat or with cola. You can use it anywhere a smooth, sweet cognac would work.
Vieux-cola
Vieux, cola, ice and lemon. The same structure as a Cuba Libre, but Dutch.
Kopstoot
Classic with young genever, but just as good with vieux.
Hot Toddy
Hot water, honey, lemon and cloves. The vanilla in vieux goes well with it.
Brandy Alexander
Classic with cognac, crème de cacao and cream. Sweeter and smoother with vieux.The right glass for vieux
A tumbler for drinking it neat, a long drink glass for mixing it with cola, and a coffee glass for adding it to coffee. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about vieux
Can't find your question here? View our cocktail recipes or contact us.
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