December 1933, Repeal And The Launch of Legendre Absinthe

December 5th 1933, Prohibition is repealed and J.M. Legendre launches "Legendre Absinthe" in New Orleans.

J. Marion Legendre was one of the first people in the southern United States to receive a Federal Rectifiers permit from the F.A.C.A. following repeal.
Legendre & Co. held Rectifiers Permit number R-48, which is still in use today by The Sazerac Co. in making Herbsaint in the modern era.

Marion Legendre was able to bring Legendre Absinthe to market much quicker than other distilled spirits that required years of aging, giving Legendre & Co. the advantage of having a delicious drink on the market ahead of his competition, that did not need years of barrel aging.

Pictured below is a rare news paper advertisement from December 1933 for the new Legendre Absinthe.

A very rare Legendre Absinthe bottle.

Legendre's Drugstore

Coming Soon: Legendre's Drugstore.

Stay tuned, we are getting caught up after Hurricane Ike.

A vintage image of Legendre's Drugstore on Baronne, (The original building still stands) with a nice Sazerac cocktail display in their window.

Vintage bottles from Legendre's Drugstore.

Herbsaint Pint Bottles

Legendre & Co. offered Herbsaint in three sizes ranging from the familiar 4/5 Quart, to the fairly common Mini bottle, and the hard to find pint bottle size. Legendre & Co. offered the pint bottles for their products from the 1930s through 1948, with Sazerac Co. continuing to offer Herbsaint in pint bottles through the late 1950s and into the 1970s.

Pictured is a group of1930s 120 proof Herbsaint pint bottles in very nice condition.

Herbsaint Drip Glass

In the mid 1950s The Sazerac Co. released a set of absinthe style drip glasses as a promotional item for Herbsaint. These very attractive and functional absinthe glasses with their unique Brouille, or dripper, that could hold ice and water, produce a perfectly louched glass of Herbsaint.

The glass Brouilles were popular in southern United States, back in the pre-ban era of absinthe, and were described in a number of vintage cocktail texts regarding the serving of absinthe.
The Brouilles were especially popular in places like New Orleans where the hot climate made serving iced drinks part of the norm.

Originally offered at $1.50 via mail order, the Herbsaint drip glasses were advertised for several years on the rear label of Herbsaint bottles, they offered an attractive and traditional way to serve a glass of Herbsaint in the traditional absinthe drip style.

The drip glasses were available from the mid 1950s through the late 1960s from the Sazerac Co.

Special thanks to Stanley Schwam retired Senior VP. of The Sazerac Co., and Kevin Richards, Brand manager for Herbsaint, for this beautiful Herbsaint glass.

The Sazerac Beomes The Official Drink Of New Orleans

It's official! The Louisiana Legislature passed House Bill 6 designating The Sazerac as the official drink of the city of New Orleans!
To celebrate, some images of vintage Sazerac ingredients, shown with The Sazerac Company's excellent Sazerac Rye, and a vintage Hotel Roosevelt Sazerac Bar glass.

The Sazerac Recipe is courtesy of The Sazerac Company, makers of Sazerac Rye, Legendre Herbsaint, and Peychauds Bitters.