Vieux
What kind of drink is vieux? Dutch brandy that tastes like cognac but isn't cognac. Almost every bottle is exactly 35%. Here you'll learn where that comes from, what brands are available, and how to drink it.
Vieux brands and their makers
Two Dutch houses that, alongside vieux, also stock a large part of the liquor cabinet.
Hooghoudt
A family business from Groningen since 1888. You know them for their genever, beerenburg, and vieux.
About Hooghoudt →De Kuyper
A family business from Schiedam. Most people know them for their liqueurs, but they've been making vieux just as long.
About De Kuyper →Hennessy
Prefer the French original? Start here. Distilled from wine and bottled at 40%.
About Hennessy →Our spirits page features all the brands we cover, from liqueur to whisky.
Every vieux at a glance, by brand
2 brands and 2 flavors, each with its own page about taste, cocktails, and the right glass.
Difference between vieux and cognac
Vieux is a Dutch drink that tries to come as close as possible to the taste of cognac. Many people call it vieux cognac, but that’s not correct. Cognac is a protected name. It must come from the area around the French town of Cognac and be distilled from wine. The drink became popular in the Netherlands, but remained too expensive. So Dutch distilleries started making their own, using grain alcohol, flavorings and usually some genuine brandy. The drink vieux was given a French name meaning “old.” Since the 1960s, there has been a bottle of it in almost every Dutch drinks cabinet.
Take a look at the shelf. Almost every bottle is at 35%. That’s no coincidence. Vieux has become its own category, and the brands stick to the same strength. Where they do differ is sweetness, oak notes and how much genuine brandy is in the blend.
In brief
Five bottles, all at 35%
The alcohol percentage is the same across the board. Choose based on sweetness, oak and price.
Hooghoudt Vieux
Made by the family business from Groningen that also distills genever and beerenburg. Round, a little sweet and distinctly vanilla.
De Kuyper Vieux
From the Schiedam distillery best known for its liqueurs. Smooth and easy-drinking, with caramel and oak.
Hoppe Vieux
One of the best-known names in this lineup. You’ve seen it in Dutch cafés for years. Full-bodied and sweet.
Hartevelt Vieux
One of the cheaper bottles in this category. That’s why you often see it in vieux and cola.
Dujardin Vieux
The name sounds French, but this vieux is also from the Netherlands, like the rest. Sweet and round.
If you want the French version, you’re looking for cognac. Distilled from wine, at least 40% ABV and aged in oak for years.
Vieux flavor, sweet with vanilla and caramel
Vanilla & caramel
You smell sweet vanilla and caramel with a little oak. Less fruit and fewer layers than cognac, but also much less sharp.
Round and sweet
Full-bodied and really sweet. Caramel, vanilla and a hint of dried fruit. You barely notice the alcohol at 35%.
Short and warm
The finish is short and warm, with notes of wood and sugar. It’s not harsh at all. That’s why vieux is the first brown spirit many people enjoy.
This is what an average 35% ABV vieux tastes like. Cognac is fruitier and more potent, and much less sweet.
Three ways to drink vieux
You don’t need to chill vieux or let it breathe. Just pour it.
Neat at room temperature
Pour 4 cl into a tumbler or a small shot glass. There’s no point serving it chilled. Its sweetness and vanilla come through best at room temperature.
Glass: tumbler →With cola
Pour 5 cl of vieux into a long drink glass filled with ice, top up with cola, and add a slice of lemon. It’s the Dutch version of rum and cola, and has been the most popular way to drink it for decades.
Cuba Libre recipe →In coffee
A splash in black coffee, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. This is how vieux found its way into many Dutch homes, and its vanilla goes well with coffee.
Coffee Cocktails →Cocktails with vieux
Vieux is not often found in cocktails. People drink it neat or with cola. Still, it works in anything that calls for a smooth, sweet cognac.
Vieux and cola
Vieux, cola, ice, and lemon. Made like a Cuba Libre, but with a Dutch twist.
Kopstoot
Usually made with young genever, but vieux works just as well.
Hot Toddy
Hot water, honey, lemon, and cloves. The vanilla in vieux works well with it.
Brandy Alexander
Usually made with cognac, crème de cacao, and cream. Vieux makes it sweeter and smoother.The right glass for vieux
A tumbler for drinking neat, a long drink glass for mixing with cola, and a coffee glass for coffee. We use these glasses ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about vieux
Can’t find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
Go to cocktail recipes →What’s the alcohol content of vieux?
What’s the difference between vieux and cognac?
What does vieux mean?
How do you drink vieux?
Which vieux is best?
Is vieux the same as brandy?
Buy vieux
Want the bottle delivered right to your door? Order vieux online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 15, including 1 on sale.
Prices as of November 5, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
