A splash of cold water turns the clear green-gold spirit milky and opens up anise, fennel and herbs. Two kinds of bitters add spice and a faint cherry note, and a little sugar rounds the edges.
1½ oz
HerbsaintBuy on Amazon →
¼ oz
simple syrup
2 dash
Angostura bittersBuy on Amazon →
2 dash
Peychaud's bittersBuy on Amazon →
1½ oz
water
Garnish: Lemon twist · Ice: Ice cubes
Herbsaint Cocktail
Anise-forward and herbal with a light sweetness, spice from the Angostura and a hint of cherry from the Peychaud's. Cloudy, cool and quite strong.
Herbsaint is an anise liqueur from New Orleans. It was launched in 1934, shortly after the end of Prohibition, by J. Marion Legendre as a substitute for absinthe, which had been banned in the United States since 1912. Legendre had come to know absinthe in France during the First World War. The name comes from herbe sainte, a Louisiana French name for wormwood. The brand was later taken over by the Sazerac Company, which still produces it.
In New Orleans Herbsaint is best known for rinsing the glass of a Sazerac, but it has long been drunk on its own too, diluted with water and sweetened, much like absinthe or pastis. This stirred version adds the two bitters that define the city's bar tradition.
An anise-flavored liqueur from New Orleans, created in 1934 as an absinthe substitute and now made by the Sazerac Company.
The anise oils separate when water is added, which gives the milky louche effect.
Yes. Pastis gives a similar result; absinthe is stronger, so add a little more water.
The perfect sound
Anise and brass in the French Quarter.
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