Herbsaint Original - LeNell It All

The Sazerac Company delighted fans of anise recently by resurrecting the original recipe first used by J. Marion Legendre for Herbsaint. Legendre had learned about absinthe while stationed in France during World War I. The original product was called Legendre Absinthe; however, just months after his product launch back in the 30's, the U.S. Government forced him to remove the word "absinthe" from the label despite the fact that his product contained no wormwood. His cleverness resulted in the moniker "Herbsaint." Soon his slogan "Drink Herbsaint wherever absinthe is called for" was followed by imbibers.

With the absence of absinthe, Herbsaint became the anise flavor in the beloved New Orleans cocktail called the Sazerac, NOLA's official cocktail by legislative decree.

How appropriate that The Sazerac Company bought the brand in 1949. Later in the 50's, the flavor profile changed giving more star anise power; yet, the actual alcohol power was lowered from 100 to 90 proof. Thankfully, the original recipe remained in the archives of Sazerac. Herbsaint Original is bottled at the original 100 proof in 750ml bottles. Shhh...there's rumor of a limited run of a 120 proof that also existed in days of old. The modern 90 proof version is still available in 750ml, as well.

Perhaps the resurgence of absinthe in our cocktails spurred Sazerac to bring this original recipe back to market. Herbsaint had long enjoyed being the anise flavor added to the Sazerac...until we could buy true distilled absinthe in the U.S. again starting in 2007. Purists complained of the fake green color, added sugar and the flavoring extracts in the 90 proof modern Herbsaint. The Herbsaint Original's flavor comes from steeping the herbs in alcohol, it's less sweet, and the color is more muted. Apart from all that, both the 90 proof and Original 100 proof are still cheaper than any good absinthes. The relaunched 100 proof Original sells for around $35. You'll be hard pressed to find any real absinthe of high quality for less than $50.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of Casa Cóctel with partner Demián Camacho Santa Ana. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.