Herbsaint

New Orleans anise liqueur developed as a legal absinthe substitute.

Liqueurs New Orleans, USA 45% ABV
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Herbsaint is a New Orleans product created in 1934 by J. Marion Legendre as a legal replacement for absinthe, which was then still banned in the United States. It is lower proof (sometimes labeled as a liqueur), sweeter, and lacks wormwood, but delivers a similar anise-dominant profile. Many older New Orleans Sazerac recipes actually call for Herbsaint rather than absinthe. Either works.

Common uses

Sazerac; anywhere a rinse of anise is wanted.

Substitutes

  • Absinthe — Higher proof and drier; traditional in Sazeracs.