Herbsaint.

H-E-R-B-S-A-I-N-T.

It’s French for “Sacred Herb” and if you rearrange those letters, it’s pretty much an anagram of ABSINTHE. What a GENIUS marketing move. Herbsaint has been around for nearly 100 years, launched in New Orleans at the end of Prohibition in the 30s as an anise-dominant alternative to absinthe and has been a pivotal ingredient for much of American cocktail history!

Absinthe was banned for almost 100 years (from the 1910s until 2007!), lasting through a huge portion of the cocktail’s lifetime of existence. However, it’s still noted as a critical ingredient in many classic cocktails such as the Sazerac, De La Louisiane, mid-century tiki drinks, Suissesse, and more. How’s that?

Herbsaint to the rescue. This product was created as a legal alternative to absinthe, omitting the use of wormwood (which contains the purported psychoactive ingredient – more details on the absinthe ‘scam’ here). Similar to the French category of absinthe alternatives regarded as “pastis,” Herbsaint shares the anise and licorice flavors that define the appeal of absinthe. Compared to French pastis like the popular Pernod and Ricard, American-made Herbsaint is less sweet, even though the recipe was originally inspired by a French pastis recipe collected while the founders were stationed in France during World War I.