February Cocktail: Vieux Carré Solution

68 of you solved the February Cocktail puzzle, Vieux Carré, with 51 solving the original puzzle without any help. Congratulations to all! Below is the solved grid and an explanation of the final answer. A full solution, including cryptic solutions to every clue, is available for download on my Patreon page. If you haven't joined, sign up at https://www.patreon.com/negronis_cocktails, which will also give you access to future puzzles. The next Cocktail will launch on Saturday, April 12, at 4pm Eastern.

Cheers!

Negroni

After determining which letter is skipped in each set of answers for the Carrés clues, the letters in the outlined middle squares spell:

WEE CENTRAL SQUARE

The key is to realize that this refers to the puzzle itself. Instead of the 3x3 squares that are outlined, there is a smaller 2x2 square in the center off the puzzle that is not outlined. Starting in the upper left and going clockwise just like the Carrés answers did, this spells the final, answer, NOLA, a shortened form of New Orleans, Louisiana (also accepted), where this cocktail was invented, and an appropriate answer for a puzzle happening around Mardi Gras.

About Me

My name is Martin Reinfried, and in some circles, I am known as Negroni. I have been writing puzzles for a long time, both for work and for fun, and I have always been enamored of cryptic crosswords, especially variety cryptics. I have written several variety cryptics, some for fun, some appearing in the MIT Mystery Hunt, and some published in the National Puzzlers League's Enigma magazine. Most of the variety cryptics I have written can be accessed at negroni.fun/puzzles. I am a software engineer, and I have been a co-founder of a couple of companies, including Shinteki, where I wrote a mobile app to run puzzle-based events. I live in Telluride, CO with my wife Dennise and son Max, and I look forward to providing you with a steady stream of variety cryptic puzzles.