Saturday, May 3, 2008

Herbsaint Frappé

The signature Herbsaint cocktail is without a doubt the Herbsaint Frappé. The Herbsaint Frappé is the first cocktail recipe that appears in every Herbsaint recipe booklet, printed from 1934, to the mid 1950s. The Herbsaint Frappé is a New Orleans favorite, perfect on those warm humid days & nights in the Vieux Carré.








Below
One of William B. Wisdom's iconic advertisements for Legendre & Company.
"At the close of the day Drink an Herbsaint Frappé"
Legendre Herbsaint Always served when absinthe is called for.

Friday, April 25, 2008

J. Marion Legendre

The man who created Herbsaint



A very dapper J. Marion Legendre pictured in 1982.


The elusive L. E. Jung & Wulff "Milky Way" Logo


The elusive L. E. Jung & Wulff "Milky Way" Logo, which has long been a source of mystery to absinthe collectors, has been found.

The L. E. Jung & Wulff Company, was an old New Orleans distillery that made absinthe before the 1912 U.S. government ban, L. E. Jung & Wulff who also made a number of liqueurs before prohibition, would also make several non alcoholic cordials during prohibition to keep the firm in business during the long dry spell in the USA.

Following the repeal of prohibition in Dec 1933, Jung & Wulff would revive production of absinthe and made approximately 1500, cases of absinthe before being ordered to cease by the FACA (Federal Alcohol Control Administration) in early 1934. Following this action L. E. Jung & Wulff would market their own absinthe substitute called Milky Way.


An excerpt the from the Jung & Wulff booklet The Mixologist

L. E Jung & Wulff Trustees of Southern Traditions "Est. 1883".

The TRUTH about ABSINTHE

ABSINTHE originated in
Algeria, and was introduced into Europe by the French soldiers. It is a distillation of sixteen herbs, roots, seeds and leaves, including the much discussed WORMWOOD.
Some people believe that Wormwood is a poison. It is no such thing, but is a valuable tonic and stimulant for the stomach--see Webster's dictionary--when taken in such quantities as it appears in Absinthe. It is harmful only when taken in overdoses as is the case with anything.
When genuine Absinthe was prohibited by Federal Law, L. E. JUNG & WULFF CO. developed a non-wormwood product known as MILKY WAY, as a substitute for Absinthe. From this product was omitted only the prohibited wormwood, and the formula slightly changed to replace the wormwood. MILKY WAY can not be distinguished, in taste, even by the greatest Absinthe connoisseurs, from genuine Absinthe. We recommend its use wherever Absinthe is called for.
MILKY WAY is a distilled product, superior to all present day American Absinthe substitutes."