"herbsaint" news and stories

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.