Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year! from the Legendre Absinthe twins

To celebrate the coming New Year, we present for your viewing pleasure.
Two Legendre Absinthe bottles!




Legendre Absinthe was the original name for Legendre Herbsaint, appearing after prohibition was repealed during December 1933.

Below is a billboard on Canal St. in New Orleans, Dec. 1933 announcing Legendre Absinthe.

 

A very early poster for Legendre Absinthe, from the Sazerac Co. archives.


With Legendre AbsintheJ. Marion Legendre had an advantage over his other competitors in the spirits industry, Legendre Absinthe did not need years of barrel aging like other spirits, so J.M. Legendre was able to have Legendre Absinthe bottled and ready for sale during the first month of repeal.

Below is a Newspaper ad for Legendre & Co., Dec. 31, 1933.





A very Rare Legendre Absinthe drink recipe booklet from the Sazerac Co. archives.





Unfortunately for Legendre & Co., the Federal Alcohol Control Administration would be unprepared to regulate the spirits industry, and properly deal with the rush of business during the early days of repeal, and by the first few months of 1934, the Federal Alcohol Control Administration, would require that Legendre & Co. remove the word absinthe from the label.

Legendre & Co. was not the only New Orleans distiller caught up in the post prohibition legal confusion, regarding absinthe, two other old time New Orleans distillers would also find that they too, would have to remove the word absinthe from their labeling of their products.

We will talk more about this in the coming days...
Stay Tuned & Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Repeal at The Old Absinthe House Dec. 5, 1933

December 5, 1933 Repeal of Prohibition is celebrated at The Old Absinthe House, as documented by a recent postal card find.

It is quite interesting to see the writer celebrating repeal at The Old Absinthe House, and mentioning "You Have No Idea What Absinthe Does To The Soft Southern Drawl".

One might wonder whether it was left over pre-ban absinthe, or perhaps some of Mr. Legendre's early product to toast the end of prohibition.





It must have been quite an evening...

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Mid 1950s Herbsaint fullsize and pint bottles

Pictured are two mid 1950s Legendre Herbsaint bottles, the standard full size bottle, and the less common pint bottle.




We will have more and better photos up soon, after the holidaze!




We will have an extraordinary new addition to showcase very soon, stay tuned to see a very rare Legendre & Co. find profiled that one won't see everyday.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Early 1934 Legendre Herbsaint Bottle

This early 1934 Legendre Herbsaint pint bottle, dates from the the period of time when Legendre & Co. changed the name of Legendre Absinthe, to Legendre Herbsaint.

This unique early Herbsaint bottle used a different bottle for a short period until 1935, when Legendre & Co. would adopt a pint bottle that matched the full sized Herbsaint bottles, with a raised circular area to hold the Legendre & Co. seal of quality.



Back label:


Saturday, October 20, 2012

A few new finds to be posted soon...

We have been rather busy lately, and have acquired some new additions which we will post shortly, ranging from two recently found Legendre's Drugstore bottles. and a couple of major Legendre Herbsaint finds, that are quite stunning.

Watch for new photos shortly...till then, stay tuned!

A quick preview:




Sunday, August 19, 2012

Legendre Absinthe


December 5, 1933 Prohibition is repealed, within a matter of days, J. Marion Legendre would receive one of the first rectifiers permits issued in the south, and Legendre Absinthe is born.





Below is an original Legendre Absinthe bottle, from the earliest days of Legendre & Co.



 
A December 1933 newspaper ad for Legendre Absinthe.





Saturday, July 7, 2012

Herbsaint Tasting room at Tales of the Cocktail

Be sure to stop by the Herbsaint Tasting Room at Tales of the Cocktail, we will be there displaying some of our Herbsaint rarities, and debuting a surprise addition to the collection.

http://www.talesofthecocktail.com/events/herbsaint-spirit-of-new-orleans/

Saturday July 28th, 2012  
10:30am — 12:00pm 
Royal Ballrooms  C & D, Hotel Monteleone







































































Come enjoy the Spirit of New Orleans® at the Herbsaint Tasting Room. One of America’s oldest Spirit brands and with deep roots in the Big Easy, Herbsaint was created by New Orleans pharmacist Marion Legendre and launched just after Prohibition. Herbsaint has become famous over the years as an integral ingredient in the Official Cocktail of New Orleans – The Sazerac – but it is also a favorite of bartenders and cocktail lovers who enjoy its unique flavor and interesting mixability.
 Guests will enjoy a variety of Herbsaint cocktails, to include the winning cocktail of the recent Melodic Mixology Competition, sponsored by Herbsaint and Offbeat Magazine. Guests can also make their way through the historic artifact and photography gallery as they sample delectable New Orleans-Herbsaint inspired creations during live cooking demonstrations. Live musician, Mark Weliky will entertain guests as they partake in The Spirit of New Orleans®. A photo booth will also be available for guests to bring home a souvenir from their visit to New Orleans.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

HERBSAINT BRAND TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF FAMOUS NEW ORLEANS CREATOR




HERBSAINT BRAND TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF FAMOUS
NEW ORLEANS CREATOR
Special Event to Commemorate Birthday and Announce Cocktail Competition, May 12
New Orleans, La – (April 10, 2012)On Saturday, May 12, 2012, Herbsaint will host a birthday celebration to pay tribute to J. Marion Legendre, the creator of the anise-flavored liqueur brand which is now owned by the Sazerac Company of New Orleans.
The open-to-the-public event will be held at The Sazerac Bar, located inside The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Guests can enjoy Herbsaint Frappes and a special birthday cake cutting, as well as a chance to view historical photographs and artifacts from Herbsaint’s storied past.
In addition to the celebration, Herbsaint and Offbeat Magazine will announce details of the first annual Herbsaint Melodic Mixology Competition, a cocktail competition for New Orleans area bartenders which requires them to create a unique Herbsaint cocktail inspired by their favorite New Orleans song.
Guests in attendance will receive a reproduction of the first in a series of famous Herbsaint advertising posters, a mainstay in bars and restaurants in New Orleans in the 1930’s. For more information or questions, please contact Jana Ritter with Herbsaint at (504) 224-1411 or visit Herbsaint’s Facebook page.
Preceding the event, the Sazerac Restaurant inside The Roosevelt Hotel will feature special Herbsaint-inspired lunch specials.
About Herbsaint
Shortly after Prohibition ended in late 1933, a New Orleans apothecary-turned entrepreneur by the name of J. Marion Legendre introduced a product called Legendre Absinthe. Legendre learned about pastis and absinthe while stationed in France during WWI. Upon his return to New Orleans after the war, he secretly made absinthe in his Uptown home during prohibition. His launch of Legendre Absinthe was a dream come true. Sadly for Legendre, just months after launching his product, the U.S. Government forced him to remove the word absinthe from his brand name amid concerns that absinthe could have detrimental effects on people’s health. Legendre quickly re-named his product HERBSAINT and launched an aggressive marketing campaign that called on people to “Drink Herbsaint Wherever Absinthe Is Called For.”
Herbsaint is available in both 90pf (suggested retail $19.99) and 100pf (suggested retail $34.99) 750ml bottles. The Sazerac Company introduced the 100 proof product in 2009 to commemorate Herbsaint’s 75th Anniversary. The product is made according the very same recipe that Legendre first used in 1934.
About The Sazerac Company
Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland and Montreal, Canada. For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Getting Settled In Our New Home

We haven't gone dark, we are getting settled in our new home, and swamped with work.


Stay tuned we will be posting some new things, and updating older items as we get unpacked.