Herbsaint

Herbsaint is a brand name of anise-flavored liquor, originally made in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Herbsaint first appeared in 1934. It was the creation of J.M. Legendre and Reginald Parker of New Orleans, who learned how to make absinthe while in France during World War I. It first went on sale following the repeal of Prohibition, and was unique in its category as an absinthe substitute, as opposed to a pastis. Although Herbsaint was originally produced under the name "Legendre Absinthe" it never contained wormwood. The Federal Alcohol Control Administration at the time objected to the use of the word Absinthe so it was changed to Legendre Herbsaint. The Sazerac Company bought the J.M. Legendre & Co. in June 1949. Herbsaint was bottled at 120 proof and 100 proof for many years, but was first modified in the mid 1950s, when Herbsaint was bottled at 100 proof and 90 proof. By the early 1970s the proof was standardized at 90 proof, producing the modern Herbsaint available today. December 2009 will see The Sazerac Company debut Herbsaint Original, using J.M. Legendre's original formula.

The name Herbsaint has its origins as a French/Creole term for Wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium, meaning "The Sacred Herb", or "Herbe Sainte".

Herbsaint Frappé

Herbsaint Frappé

Type	Cocktail
Primary alcohol by volume	Anise-flavored liqueur
Served	stirred
Standard garnish	frosted glass
Standard drinkware	Highball glass
Commonly used ingredients	One part Herbsaint One part soda water Half teaspoon simple syrup or sugar
Preparation	Stir together with plenty of ice, then strain into a very well chilled glass. Serve very cold.

Herbsaint was and still is used in several cocktails. The most famous of those is the Herbsaint Frappé.

• Pour two ounces of Herbsaint into a thin six-ounce glass.
• Fill the glass three-quarters full with cracked ice.
• Add a half teaspoon of simple syrup or sugar and two ounces of carbonated or plain water, then fill glass with more cracked ice.
• Stir, using a long-handled spoon with up and down motion until outside of glass is well frosted.
• Strain into another glass that has been chilled.
• Remove the ice from the original glass.
• Now pour the Herbsaint frappé back into the well frosted glass and serve.

Herbsaint is also used in the original sazerac cocktail.

The Original Sazerac Cocktail--- Take two heavy-bottomed 3 1/2-oz. Bar glasses; fill one with cracked ice and allow it to chill while placing a lump of sugar with just enough water to moisten it. Crush the saturated lump of sugar with a bar spoon. Add a few drops of Peychaud's Bitters, a jigger of rye whisky and several lumps of ice and stir briskly. Empty the first glass of ice, dash in several drops of Herbsaint, twirl the glass rapidly and shake out the absinthe. Enough of it will cling to the glass to impart the desired flavor. Strain into this glass the rye whisky mixture prepared in the other glass. Twist a lemon peel over the glass, but do not put it in the drink.

See also

• Absente
• Absinthe
• Pastis

External links

• The History of Legendre Herbsaint
• 1944 promotional booklet for Legendre Herbsaint — Cocktail recipes and a brief history of Legendre herbsaint and the old absinthe house in New Orleans (1.76MB PDF format)

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