"Sazerac" news and stories

Herbsaint Original - LeNell It All

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Apr 2nd 2010 @ 4:00PM

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.

Filed under: Drinks

LeNell It All - Absinthe Service

COMMENTS 2

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Oct 28th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Ales Olasz

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. 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.

A dear friend who loves his absinthe fully deserved my splurge on a 1910 sample of pre-Prohibition absinthe as the perfect way to celebrate his birthday. Older absinthes made without the use of fake coloring often show off what the French call "feuille morte" (or "dead leaf"), simply meaning the green hue has turned more golden. This old sample had stood the test of time and proudly displayed a golden-green hue.

We tasted it on its own, then enjoyed a nice glass in traditional French style, diluted with ice-cold water, enjoying the slow milky color that appeared. The French call this precipitation of essential oils out of the absinthe the "louche." Other methods of serving might include the addition of anisette, maraschino or sugar syrup. The pure pleasure of tasting an old sample was enough for us to savor simply with sugar and water.

True absinthe is back on the retail shelves again in the U.S., but sad to say this delightful beverage is still grossly misunderstood. Yes, the real product contains wormwood. No, you will not hallucinate and kill people by having a glass of it.

Modern science has revealed that true distilled absinthe even made with wormwood contains very little thujone, the ingredient in artemisia absinthium that our government officials claimed to be so worried about. Funny thing is that the herb sage has more thujone than wormwood, but the FDA never banned it. The truth is absinthe was not "legalized" again in the U.S. -- it just took 75 years for someone to work through all the bureaucratic red tape to clarify thujone limitations.

Filed under: Drink Recipes

Gumbo Tales, Cookbook of the Day

COMMENTS 1

by Marisa McClellan, Posted Mar 12th 2008 @ 1:01PM

cover of Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table

Back at the end of January, I spent five days up in New York City, attending a writing conference and hanging out with my cousins in Brooklyn. One of the high points of the conference was the session I attended that consisted entirely of food writers reading from their work. One of the writers was Sara Roahen, and she read a piece about the Sazerac (a drink made from rye whiskey and bitters) from her about-to-be published book about food and life in New Orleans.

The book, officially titled Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, is now available and it should be winging its way to me even as we speak (thanks to the wonder that is Amazon.com). It contains recipes and stories (and we all know that's just about my favorite thing in the whole world). When I heard Roahen read, by the end of the chapter, I was nearly panting for a Sazerac (and I don't particularly even like whiskey). If that is any indication, I am certain the rest of the book will be as vividly descriptive and tantalizing.

Source

Filed under: Raves & Reviews, Cookbook Spotlight, Books

Mardi Gras Cocktails: Sazerac

COMMENTS 0

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Feb 26th 2006 @ 9:15PM

sazerac It's not really a Mardi Gras party without indulging in a drink, or two, or a half dozen, so don't forget to add some cocktails to your Fat Tuesday Feast.

Sazerac might be the world's oldest known cocktail. Granted, not the oldest liquor (or wine), but cocktail which, by "definition," is a mixture. We're not exactly sure where the name comes from, but it could be from a French brand of cognac called Sazerac-du-Forge et fils, or it could be named after the cafe in which it was first reported to be made, the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans (thus, its association with New Orleans and Mardi Gras). It doesn't matter because a sazerac by any other name still tastes as sweet.

To make a Sazerac cocktail, crush one sugar cube with a drop of water in the bottom of a glass. (Some recipes call for 1 tsp. simple syrup instead.) Add a few drops of Peychaud's Bitters, 2 oz. rye whiskey, a few ice cubes, and stir. Pour this into another glass that has been swirled with a few drops of Pernod (or absinthe, you decide). Twist a lemon peel over the cocktail.

Purists will say that you cannot make a true Sazerac without the Peychaud's bitters, and that you don't add the lemon peel to the drink after you twist. As far as the rye whiskey, I am guessing a fine cognac would work just as well, if not better, but don't use Bourbon. Save that for a mint julep on Derby Day.

Filed under: Drink Recipes, How To