Herbsaint substitute

Best substitute

Pernod

Use the same amount as the herbsaint you are replacing

Best for oysters Rockefeller

Close match

Pernod is the substitute you want, at 1:1, and it is close enough that most New Orleans cooks use whichever bottle is open. Pastis such as Ricard also works 1:1. If you only have absinthe, use two thirds to three quarters of the amount because it is stronger and more assertive. With no anise liqueur in the house, use an eighth of a teaspoon of anise extract plus a tablespoon of water for every tablespoon of Herbsaint.

Other herbsaint substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Pastis, such as Ricard
Close match
Use the same amount
The Marseille style of anise aperitif, made with licorice root as well as anise, so it has a rounder, sweeter, more rooty flavour.
What changes
Best for
oysters Rockefeller, seafood dishes, Sazerac, cream sauces, bouillabaisse
The licorice root pushes it slightly sweeter and denser than Herbsaint, so it can taste a touch syrupy in a delicate butter sauce. Louches the same way and behaves the same way in cooking. A squeeze of lemon in the finished dish keeps it from tasting heavy.
3Absinthe
Different taste
Use ⅔ to ¾ the amount
The spirit Herbsaint was invented to replace, with the same anise and fennel plus wormwood, and usually a much higher strength.
What changes
Best for
Sazerac glass rinse, oysters Rockefeller, cocktails
Considerably more assertive, with a green herbal bitterness from the wormwood and often 55 to 70 per cent alcohol against Herbsaint's 45 to 50, hence the smaller measure. For a glass rinse where you discard most of it, absinthe is arguably the ideal choice. In a cream sauce, too much of it turns the sauce bitter.
4Ouzo
Different taste
Use the same amount
The Greek anise spirit, sweeter and grapier than Herbsaint, made from anise-flavoured grape distillate.
What changes
Best for
cooked seafood dishes, gumbo, braises, creamed spinach
In anything cooked it works well, since the anise is the part that matters and the extra sweetness burns off or gets lost. In a Sazerac it is noticeably candy-like and slightly grapey, which reads as wrong to anyone who knows the drink. Cut a little sugar elsewhere if the recipe has any.
5Sambuca
Different taste
Use about ⅔ the amount
An Italian anise liqueur sweetened heavily and flavoured with elderflower alongside the star anise.
What changes
Best for
cooked dishes where a little sweetness is fine, sauces, desserts
Much sweeter than Herbsaint, so use less and cut a teaspoon of sugar per ounce from anything else in the recipe. The elderflower adds a floral top note that suits desserts and can sit oddly in a savoury oyster dish. A squeeze of lemon helps considerably.
6Anise extract with water, or steeped fennel seed (non-alcoholic)
Close match
⅛ tsp anise extract plus 1 tbsp water replaces 1 tbsp Herbsaint
Extract supplies the anethole aroma that is the whole point of Herbsaint.
What changes
Alternatively, steep a quarter teaspoon of lightly crushed fennel seed in the hot cooking liquid and strain it out.
Best for
oysters Rockefeller, gumbo, creamed spinach, seafood sauces, alcohol-free cooking
Anise extract is potent and can turn soapy if overdone, so start with a couple of drops and taste. There is no alcoholic warmth and no sweetness, which in a savoury dish is barely a loss. In a Sazerac there is no honest alcohol-free version, since the whole drink is spirits.

What is Herbsaint?

Herbsaint is Herbsaint is a New Orleans anise liqueur created in the 1930s as a legal stand-in for absinthe, with a dry licorice-and-fennel flavour that turns milky and cloudy when you add water.

Cooking tips

In oysters Rockefeller the liqueur goes into the spinach and butter mixture off the heat, right at the end. Anise aroma is volatile and cooking it hard leaves you with a bitter edge and none of the perfume.
In a Sazerac you rinse the chilled glass and discard the excess, so a quarter teaspoon does the job and any anise liqueur will pass. This is the one application where absinthe is a genuine upgrade rather than a compromise.
Anise concentrates as a sauce reduces, so add it at the end of a gumbo or an etouffee rather than at the start. A teaspoon in a large pot is often enough; a tablespoon can take the whole dish over.
If you have no anise liqueur at all, tarragon is the herb to reach for. It carries the same anethole compound that gives anise its flavour, and a tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon does surprisingly good work in a Rockefeller-style butter or a cream sauce for fish.
Herbsaint runs 45 to 50 per cent alcohol depending on which version you have, and Herbsaint Original Recipe is the higher-proof one. It will catch fire, so add it to a hot pan off the flame and stand back.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave Herbsaint out?

In a gumbo or a braise, yes, with a modest loss of aroma; the dish will taste slightly less complex and less distinctly Louisianan. In oysters Rockefeller the anise note is one of the defining flavours, so use something rather than nothing, even if it is only a pinch of crushed fennel seed or chopped tarragon. In a Sazerac the anise rinse is the drink's signature and skipping it changes what you are making.

Is Herbsaint the same as Pernod?

Not identical, but close enough to use interchangeably in almost any recipe. Both are anise liqueurs that louche when water is added. Herbsaint is drier and a little sharper, made in New Orleans; Pernod is French, slightly sweeter and more floral. If a recipe names one and you have the other, use the same amount and get on with it.

Can I use absinthe instead of Herbsaint?

Yes, but use less. Absinthe is usually much higher in alcohol and its wormwood gives it a green bitterness Herbsaint does not have, so use two thirds to three quarters of the amount and taste before adding more. For a Sazerac glass rinse it is excellent. For a butter or cream sauce, be conservative, because the bitterness sticks around.

What did Herbsaint exist to replace?

Absinthe. It was created in New Orleans in the 1930s while absinthe was banned in the United States, as a wormwood-free anise liqueur that could do the same job in Sazeracs and in Creole cooking. That history is why the two are so similar and why old New Orleans recipes often list them as alternatives to each other.

What is the best substitute if I do not want to buy a whole bottle?

Anise extract from the baking aisle, which costs a fraction as much and lasts for years. Use an eighth of a teaspoon plus a tablespoon of water in place of a tablespoon of Herbsaint. It gives you the anise aroma without the alcohol, which is all most cooked dishes need. Crushed fennel seed steeped in the cooking liquid is the free version if you already have fennel seed in the cupboard.

Related substitutes

More liquor substitutes

Herbsaint substitute

Other herbsaint substitutes

2Pastis, such as Ricard

3Absinthe

4Ouzo

5Sambuca

6Anise extract with water, or steeped fennel seed (non-alcoholic)