happy hour sazerac academy @ herbsaint in new orleans, la …

 

herbsaint restaurant

presents

happy hour sazerac academy

wednesday, december 16^th, 2009

4:30pm to 6:30pm

herbsaint restaurant

701 st. charles avenue

new orleans, lousiana

$35 per person, per session

to rsvp, contact (504) 524-4114 or info@herbsaint.com

diva editor’s note: herbsaint is one of my absolute FAVORITE restaurants in all of greater new orleans. if you have the chance to attend this fabulous event, you’ll definitely leave wanting more … and that’s a great thing!

join tales of the cocktail us as we pay homage to the sazerac cocktail and herbsaint in a special event that is designed to better acquaint you with this legendary libation. learn about the cocktail’s storied history and how to make your own sazerac. after attending this event, you will officially be a sazeractivist, and it will be your honor to spread the story of the official cocktail of new orleans to others in an effort to preserve its history.

also learn about the legendary herbsaint brand and its rich history in new orleans dating back to late december 1933, when a new orleans pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur by the name of j. marion legendre introduced a product called legendre absinthe.  this new product came on the heels of the united states’ repeal of prohibition earlier that month.  legendre, who became interested in pastis and absinthe products while in france during world war i, secretly made absinthe in his uptown home in new orleans 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 banned the use of the word absinthe amid concerns that absinthe could have hallucinogenic and possible detrimental effects on people.  not one to be dismayed, 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”.  after 15 years of tireless herbsaint promotion across the united states, legendre sold the brand to the sazerac company in 1949.  the sazerac company of new orleans still owns the brand, and herbsaint remains a mainstay on sophisticated bars throughout the city.

in commemoration of the 75^th anniversary of herbsaint production, the sazerac company will be introducing a new product called herbsaint original in december 2009.  the new product is made according to the very same recipe that legendre first used in december 1933.  it will also bear the same label design as was used on herbsaint in the 1930s.  

as an added bonus to the evening, chef donald link has hand-crafted a three course, french inspired menu for us to dine upon, while learning.

starter (choose one)

soup of the day

or

mixed market greens with goat cheese

entrée (choose one)

beef bourguignon

or

fish provencial

or

confit chicken with olives

dessert

tart tartan

each herbsaint happy hour will include:

• historical overview of the sazerac cocktail
• memorabilia and artifacts on display
• hands on making of a sazerac cocktail by each person
• an exclusive tasting of the new herbsaint original
• a hand crafted french inspired meal, by award winning chef donald link

all attendees will receive:

• a limited edition sazerac® blue print poster
• an official sazeractivists certificate

to learn more about the sazerac company and herbsaint visit www.sazerac.com and www.neworleansabsinthehistory.com