Herbsaint
Encyclopedia
Herbsaint is a brand name of anise
-flavored liquor
currently produced by the Sazerac Company
and originally made in New Orleans, Louisiana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
. Herbsaint was originally produced under the name "Legendre Absinthe", although it never contained Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium
). The Federal Alcohol Control Administration soon objected to Legendre's use of the word "absinthe", so the name was changed to "Legendre Herbsaint". The Sazerac Company
bought J.M. Legendre & Co. in June 1949. Herbsaint was bottled at 120 proof and 100 proof for many years, but the recipe was modified in the mid 1950s, when Herbsaint began being bottled at 100 proof and 90 proof. By the early 1970s the 100 proof variation was discontinued, and the 90 proof version remains the predominant Herbsaint available today.
In December 2009, the Sazerac Company
reintroduced J.M. Legendre's original 100 proof recipe as Herbsaint Original.
The name Herbsaint originates from "Herbe Sainte" (Sacred Herb), the French/Creole term for Artemisia absinthium.
Herbsaint is also used in the modern Sazerac
cocktail. A recipe for the Sazerac
can be found on its Wikipedia page.
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
-flavored liquor
Flavored liquor
Flavored liquors are alcoholic beverages that have added flavoring and, in some cases, a small amount of added sugar...
currently produced by the Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company
The Sazerac Company is a large privately held and family-operated alcoholic beverages company with headquarters in Metairie, Louisiana.It owns and produces a large and diversified portfolio of beverage brands, and it owns and operates a number of distilling companies...
and originally made in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
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
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
while in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It first went on sale following the repeal of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, and was unique in its category as an absinthe substitute, as opposed to a pastis
Pastis
Pastis is an anise-flavored liqueur and apéritif from France, typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume, although alcohol-free varieties exist.-Origins:...
. Herbsaint was originally produced under the name "Legendre Absinthe", although it never contained Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium
Artemisia absinthium
Artemisia absinthium is a species of wormwood, native to temperate regions of Eurasia and northern Africa....
). The Federal Alcohol Control Administration soon objected to Legendre's use of the word "absinthe", so the name was changed to "Legendre Herbsaint". The Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company
The Sazerac Company is a large privately held and family-operated alcoholic beverages company with headquarters in Metairie, Louisiana.It owns and produces a large and diversified portfolio of beverage brands, and it owns and operates a number of distilling companies...
bought J.M. Legendre & Co. in June 1949. Herbsaint was bottled at 120 proof and 100 proof for many years, but the recipe was modified in the mid 1950s, when Herbsaint began being bottled at 100 proof and 90 proof. By the early 1970s the 100 proof variation was discontinued, and the 90 proof version remains the predominant Herbsaint available today.
In December 2009, the Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company
The Sazerac Company is a large privately held and family-operated alcoholic beverages company with headquarters in Metairie, Louisiana.It owns and produces a large and diversified portfolio of beverage brands, and it owns and operates a number of distilling companies...
reintroduced J.M. Legendre's original 100 proof recipe as Herbsaint Original.
The name Herbsaint originates from "Herbe Sainte" (Sacred Herb), the French/Creole term for Artemisia absinthium.
The Herbsaint Frappé and the Sazerac
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 teaspoonTeaspoonA teaspoon, an item of cutlery, is a small spoon, commonly part of a silverware place setting, suitable for stirring and sipping the contents of a cup of tea or coffee...
of simple syrup or sugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and two ounces of carbonated or plain water, then fill glass with more cracked ice. - Stir, using a long-handled spoonSpoonA spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
with up and down motion until outside of glass is well frostFrostFrost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
ed. - 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 modern Sazerac
Sazerac
The Sazerac is a local New Orleans variation of an old-fashioned cognac or whiskey cocktail, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac that was its original prime ingredient. The drink is some combination of cognac, rye whiskey, absinthe or Herbsaint, and Peychaud's Bitters and...
cocktail. A recipe for the Sazerac
Sazerac
The Sazerac is a local New Orleans variation of an old-fashioned cognac or whiskey cocktail, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac that was its original prime ingredient. The drink is some combination of cognac, rye whiskey, absinthe or Herbsaint, and Peychaud's Bitters and...
can be found on its Wikipedia page.
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)
- "The Imformant" by Robert Simonson in Imbibe magazine, about Herbsaint expert Jay Hendrickson.