Highest Recomendation

F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal - September 2010

Really pretty, nearly opaque cranberry juice/crimson/ruby red color; superb purity. Offers up gentle and unabashedly seductive fragrances of citrus (lime definitely), flowers (I'm told hibiscus), and spice (ginger, pepper) that all work in unison to create a remarkably unique, organic, and sensually pleasing aroma in the first sniffs; additional time in the glass (seven minutes) serves the ginger root the as it leaps forward to dominate the bouquet. Entry is devilishly piquant and spicy (the ginger acts up); midpalate is slinky, spiced, bark-like, rooty, and moderately juicy sweet. Finished on a bright, lively note of juiciness, since the ginger fades and the other spices, like cardamom, surge to the front. Like nothing else out there and lap-up luscious.

Oprah's All-Star Wrap Party Was 'Top Secret'

312 Dining Diva - May 18th, 2011

Adam Seger (Hum Spirits Co.), who works as a consultant for the luxury hotel, designed the specialty sippers and brought along Charles Joly (The Drawing Room), Bridget Albert (Southern Wine & Spirits), Lynn House (Blackbird), Kyle McHugh (The Boozehound) and Jeff Donahue (The Aviary) to help him out behind the bar.

Oprah's Wrap Party Libations

Chicagoist - May 19th, 2011

When mixologist Adam Seger of hum Botanical Spirits was tapped to devise a cocktail menu for the wrap party celebrating the Oprah Winfrey show's series finale taping, held Tuesday night at the Four Seasons Hotel, he mustered a spread with pomp fitting of the occasion.

Oprah's Star-Studded After Party

NBC Chicago - May 18th, 2011

Hum was the featured spirit for Oprah's wrap party.

Oprah Winfrey's finale party cocktails: Party like it's your last episode

ZAP2it - May 19th, 2011

Oprah Winfrey doesn't do anything without putting her special touch on it. She named her new network OWN for Christ's sake.

So, when it came to partying down after shooting her final episode with her long list of celeb guests, Oprah had several new drinks created for the party by mixologist Adam Seger of Hum Botanical spirits.

oprah-finale-party_cocktail_menu-chicagoist-275.jpg
Seger shared Lady O's cocktail menu, pictured, with the Chicagoist which included fun cocktail names, including our favorite, "Crazy A** Sangria." Keep it real, O!

The drinks required about 18,000 fruit "caviar pearls," edible flowers and rose petals, pluots (which are plum-apricot hybrids), dragon fruit, and other ingredients we don't have in our pantry. Only the most obscure for Oprah!

When Zap2it caught up with her in January, we asked her for the deets on her signature drink, the Moscow Mule. So, it doesn't surprise us that she had that cocktail dressed up for the finale party and renamed the Magenta Mule.

Memorial Day Weekend… Sangria!!!

Party Blog - May 29th, 2011

This is a great weekend. We rememeber the ones that sacraficed for our freedom, our opportunities to hang with family and friends, great weekend!

A great social drink for this weekend is making a big batch of sangria. This is the what they make in Spain with the left over wine and don’t want it to go to waste. Fresh fruit, a punch bowl, honey or agave nectar (what’s this? Email me and see if you are right!) and some sparkling wine. All done! Easy and something quick so you can focus on the barbeque! Whip up a bowl and enjoy! Salud.

Photo By HumSpirits

Luther’s Sangria

2 bottles of red wine
1/2 cup of Hum Spirits, Hibiscus infused Liqueur
3 apples, preferably Pink Lady, diced
3 oranges, sliced and quartered
1 lemon, sliced and quartered
Honey or Agave to taste
1 bottle of Mas Fi Cava, Spanish sparkling wine, added before serving
*If able, let sit for 24 hours refridgerated to allow fruit to absorb wine

Patch Picks: Memorial Day Recipes

Naperville Patch - May 26th, 2011

The Magenta Mule: Perhaps Chicago’s hottest new drink after Adam Seger of Hum Spirits & Co. mixed it for the star-studded wrap party for Oprah Winfrey and her guests at the Four Seasons, you can impress barbeque guests with this version of the recipe. Fill a tall glass with ice, add 1.5 ounces of hum (a 70-proof botanical spirit), 1.5 ounces of ginger syrup, a wedge of squeezed lime, fill with Perrier, mix, garnish and serve. (Ginger syrup and Perrier can be substituted with ginger ale or ginger syrup).

Seasons Bar Pisco Punch

The Tasting Panel - May 2011

Pisco is all the rage today. Given the cocktail's close connection with San Francisco, we asked mixologist T. Oliver Lee, Bar Manager at Seasons Bar at Four Seasons San Francisco, to share his own recipe for this classic drink, as well as offer some notes on the ingredients.

Seasons Bar Pisco Punch

At Season Bar at Four Seasons San Francisco, we have added a refreshing Pisco Punch to the Spring Seasonal cocktail list.

Our recipe for the punch takes its inspiration form two sources: the closest anyone can find to the original recipe used by Duncan Nicol at San Francisco 's Bank Exchange in the 1800s, and a later version created by Jack Koeppler in the 1950s.

There is some debate as to whether Nicol used lemon or lime juice, but we think it tastes better with lemon.

The Base:
36 oz. pisco
12 oz. spirit gum
15 oz. water
1 pineapple

The Rinse:
Hum Botanical Spirit

Garnish:
Candied pineapple wedge

Methodology:
Combine all ingredients of the base in a large container. Cube the pineapple and add it to the mixture. Let it sit for at least 24 hours. Pour a small amount of Hum into a highball glass. Add the ice and slowly pour in the Pisco Punch. Dip the candied wedge into Hum Liqueur and attach to the rim of the glass. Repeat as necessary.

Where The Insiders Imbibe

DiningChicago.com - March 29th, 2011

One thing's for certain: There's no shortage of fun to be had when it comes to nightlife in Chicago. But the real insiders know to avoid the city’s most popular bars on the weekend.

You'll typically find the top toques and master mixologists out and about Monday through Wednesday at industry-focused parties. What's cool is that even if you're not in the industry you're welcome, but you just gotta be cool. You know, don’t sweat the culinary and bar stars as they get a rare chance to chill out.

Anyway, three particular events stand out, attracting a heavy contingent of insiders. Every first Monday of the month, there's Shift Drinks happening at new-ish underbar Watershed that’s located in Pops For Champagne.

The concept of Shift Drinks—engineered by Pops' Colleen Healy and GT Fish & Oyster’s Daniel de Oliveira—is awesome. A well-known chef is paired up with an equally popular mixologist to guest bartend behind the bar. They come up with signature cocktails, and a portion of the proceeds from that night’s tips benefit their favorite charities.

Just some of the past guests have been chefs Michael Carlson (Schwa), Graham Elliott (Grahamwich, graham elliot) and Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia) as well as star-tenders Adam Seger (Hum Liqueur), Lynn House (Blackbird) and Charles Joly (The Drawing Room). There is no admission charge and drink specials are $9. Shift Drinks happens 9pm-2am every first Monday of the month.

Recipes (Hibiscus Liqueur Anyone?) Update Classic Cocktails

Pioneer Local - March 24th, 2011

But her watermelon mojito, dubbed Hum Watermelon Mojito, gets a boost from a hibiscus liqueur that inspired its name: Hum. Hum is a botanical spirit made with hibiscus, a flower favored by hummingbirds. The recipe, which showcases hibiscus, ginger, cardamom and kaffir lime, was developed by Chicago mixologist Adam Seger.

The liqueur is made at North Shore Distillery in Lake Bluff. The distillery packages Hum in bottles that can be recycled to be used as hummingbird feeders.

Schneider muddles watermelon and mint and blends the mixture with rum, ginger ale and Hum.

"Hum can be used as a twist to any classic cocktail," Schneider said. "The hibiscus and ginger brings out the flavors in mojitos in summertime and can be used to replace vermouth in manhattans during winter."

Adam Seger's Hand-Crafted Spirits

Nightclub & Bar - March 22nd, 2011

Adam Seger has for years worked with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise in Chicago, most notably at Nacional 27. But these days, he's making a name for himself through his amaro-apertif, hum botanical spirit. With so many bartenders looking to spread their wings into product development, we thought it worthwhile to check in with someone who's cleared the hurdles.

Three Local Cocktails Make Serious Drinks Beer Cocktails List

Chicagoist - March 2nd, 2011

Three Chicago beer cocktails made the cut for Serious Drinks' "Drinking Nationally" list (Disclosure: Anthony is the Chicago correspondent for Serious Drinks).

The cocktails Anthony selected for the list include the Gage's take on a Dark and Stormy called the Perfect Storm. It's a $12 mix of Gosling's Black Seal rum, Domaine de Canton, Ginger, and Harp. Terzo Piano's $8 Summer Shandy, made with Two Brothers Ebel's Weiss, Hum Botanical Spirit, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and lemon/lime soda, hits their menu April 1. Newly opened Leopold makes the list with their $11 Vim and Vigor, a mix of Leopold Brothers Apple Whiskey, Gran Gala, and Flemish Red Ale, served with a cinnamon stick and a sprig of thyme, that Anthony writes reminds him of a very complex hard cider.

The Adam Seger Effect

Timeout Chicago - March 10th, 2011

Brew 'n' Stew: How to cook with beer

Chicago Sun-Times - March 9th, 2011

Or, for heartier beef and lamb dishes in particular, try reducing the sauce with porter, which adds a gorgeous richness, says Adam Seger, master mixologist with Hum Spirits Co.

“For pork, the coriander and orange peel in a Belgian white adds a great dimension,” he says. (Of course, he deglazes the pan with his own spirit, Hum, in place of another high-acid liquid like balsamic vinegar.)

Master Mixologists

Restaurant Hospiltality Magazine - March 2011

Shop 'Til You Drop at Affinia Chicago

About.com - March 2011

What I Did:

- $50 Gift Card for 900 North Michigan Shops, which boasts a range of stores from Gucci to Williams Sonoma.
- Two cocktails at C-House or C-View. Guests can warm up in the winter with the Cabin Fever (house made hot chocolate, Godiva liquor, and toasted marshmallow) and cool off in the spring/summer with a Humarita (Hum botanical spirit, patron silver tequila, simple syrup, fresh lime juice, kosher salt).
-Fabulous gift bag with a coffee mug, mini wallet, and offers from the stores at 900 North Michigan Shops.
$25 credit for SPAffinia in-room pedicures or massages.
-Complimentary makeup consultation

Lights Off, Awareness On at Fairmont

Market Wire - February 24th, 2011

A few hotels have created signature drinks for the event. The Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park will be offering a special cocktail, the HUMing Bird, made of organic botanic HUM liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon, organic puree and ginger. $1 USD from every cocktail will be donated to the Grant Park Conservancy, the hotel's Eco-Signature Project. Fairmont Beijing will be serving a special Earth Hour cocktail garnished with glow stick stirrers; adding to the drink and the ambience the stirrers will provide the only lighting. In Canada's capital, Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa is inviting guests to Zoe's Lounge to sip and savor a special Shot in the Dark cocktail along with a selection of green bites. At Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver the night includes acoustic entertainment in the lobby and an eco-cocktail called Kermit's Katana that features local artisanal sake from Granville Island, cucumber slices, fresh lime juice and vodka.

hum botanical spirit

psssst.net - January 16th, 2011

Inspired by the great amaros of Italy, celebrated mixologists, Adam Seger of Chicago and London’s Joe McCanta infuse organic rum with fair trade hibiscus, organic ginger, green cardamom and kaffir lime to create the beautifully balanced spirit called hum. At a bold 70 proof, hum is best enjoyed on the rocks with lime and a splash of soda. Enjoy it tall with tonic, ginger ale or cola. Or, add it to your favorite beer or sparkling wine. Don’t stop there... replace sweet vermouth or orange liqueur with hum to kick up the classic negroni, manhattan or margarita. Finally, end your evening with your favorite ice cream drizzled with hum. Mmmmmm. The applications are only limited by your imagination.

Cocktail Hour Came Early

lamag.com - January 13th, 2011

It’s 4 o’clock somewhere…
Chicago mixologist and founder of Hum Spirits Co., Adam Seger, paid us a visit from the Windy City during our monthly staff lunch and he brought along his deadly “Mrs. Robinson’s Punch” made with his Hum Botanical Spirit, a 70-proof infused rum. According to Seger, this punch is the “sexiest drink you will ever have that is good for you.” Booze,
health, and sex all in one cup? Sure, why not?

America’s 100 best beer bars: 2011

Draft Magazine - January 5th, 2011

Beer bars are cropping up around the country at a frenetic pace, so paring our annual list down to 100 was no small feat. That said, we’re confident that if you find yourself on a barstool at any one of these stellar spots, you’ll be surrounded by top-notch brew and folks who are committed to it.

HOPLEAF
Chicago

Scholarly lectures, beer dinners and killer mussels and frites complement the behemoth beer list at this Chicago institution. The bar urges experimentation—e.g., swapping your usual white wine for Chicagoland’s Wild Blossom Meadery’s Blanc de Fleur, blowing $45 on a bottle of Malheur Dark Brut Reserve or dropping a shot of Hum—a locally crafted rum-hibiscus-cardamom-ginger boost—into your Two Brothers French Country Ale. 5148 N. Clark St., hopleaf.com (serves food)

Hum Liquor Enhances Holiday Cocktails and Mulled Wines

Daily Candy - December 24th, 2010

Eating and being merry are overrated. This year drinking tops your list. We enlisted help from the good people of Hum, a locally produced spirit (organic rum, fair trade hibiscus, organic ginger, green cardamom, and kaffir lime) to create two boozy wintry cocktails — one easy, one more complicated. Serve them at your next soiree — or, heck, whip ’em up by your lonesome on a snowy night.

The Best Winter Cocktails in New York

Serious Eats NY - December 2010

The Humble from Rye House ($12): Lemon, honey, and basil may sound like summer flavors, but the real backbone of Rye House's Plymouth gin-based Humble cocktail is the Hum liqueur. It's an amaro-inspired rum-based botanical flavored with cardamom, ginger, and hibiscus that hits all the spicy, warming notes a good winter cocktail should.

Cup of Tea That Can Get You Drunk

Prime Time Russia - November 5th, 2010

If the four-day weekend has put you in the mood for celebrating, we have just the thing for you.

Our mixologist has invited a special guest from the U.S. to help him concoct another smashing cocktail exclusively for Prime Time viewers.

So let's join Bek Narzi and co in his cocktail-lab high-up in Moscow's City Space Bar...

Cocktails By Design

Dining By Design 2010 - November 4th, 2010

Cocktails By Design is sponsored by Northern Trust and will feature Adam Seger, Founder and Mixologist for Chicago based hum Spirits Company and Cocktail Advisor for Lettuce Entertain You.

Seger is a Certified Culinary Professional and Advanced Sommelier as well as an alumnus of world-renowned restaurants TRU and The French Laundry. hum Botanical Spirit is a recipient of 5 Stars from Paul Pacault Spirits Journal.

The Hottest New Backbar Prospects

Bar Profits - October 2010

HUM BOTANICAL LIQUEUR — There’s nothing perched on your backbar remotely like newcomer Hum Botanical Liqueur. Created by celebrated mixologists Adam Seger of Chicago and Joe McCanta of London, the garnet-hued liqueur is made on a base of organic rums and flavored with ginger, green cardamom, kaffir lime, cinnamon bark and fair trade hibiscus. Hum, 70-proof, has a balanced, thoroughly engaging character with a spicy, savory and sweet palate and a touch of bitterness on the finish. (Preiss Imports)

Liqueurs

Brand Awareness - October 2010

The New Moonlighters

Crain's Chicago Business Today - September 16th, 2010

The new breed of entrepreneur: holding onto their day jobs as they develop startups on the side.

The Restaurant Issue

Bon Appétit Magazine - September 2010

"...the growing herbal trend has never looked fresher. Take Adam Seger's farm-to-bar approach...he grows his own potted herbs--such as lavendar, rosemary, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and lemon thyme. Seger is partial to lemon thyme, which he likes to add to a gin and tonic as a garnish. 'The first thing you smell before you take a sip is the citrusy, savory lemon thyme,' he says. The heady herbal scent primes the palate without overwhelming the flavor."

The Five Questions

Wild River Review - August 31st, 2010

Adam Seger CCP Founder/Mixologist hum Spirits Company Cocktail Adviser

I met Adam Seger through the magic of the internet and the interconnections between like minded people. He is one of the “living legends” of mixology. Adam mentioned that he sometimes gets to NYC to share his passion for his craft.

Adam, when you read this, please let me tag along while you visit various cocktail bars. This would be the stuff that cocktail fueled dreams are made of! Thank you! wb

Friday @ 5: A Cocktail to Kick Off the Weekend

chicagotribune.com - The Stew - August 6th, 2010

The summer is humming right along so quickly at this rate, we'll be dusting snow off our winter boots before we know it.

Banish the thought this weekend with a cocktail designed -- and named -- for summer, courtesy of Nacional 27 mixologist Adam Seger (who's delicious Mojitonico was featured in yesterday's Play).

Seger's Summer Hummin' utilizes the master mixologist's signature spirit, Hum, which has been on the local market for long enough that it's become a fixture on beverage menus beyond his home turf. Like most of Seger's cocktails, the ingredients are non-exotic yet delicious staples, such as basil and cucumbers, that perform well under his direction.

Chefs Flex Their Green Thumbs

NBCChicago.com - The Feast - August 6th, 2010

With all the attention on menus using locally-sourced ingredients, it makes sense that some chefs and mixologists are going hyper-local by digging around in their backyards.
Adam Seger—the LEYE cocktail consultant, creator of Hum spirits and host of the recent Farm to Bar bash—has a rooftop garden above the Hum spirits office on North LaSalle, where he grows a lot of stuff. Namely: seven types of basil, three varieties of mint, three kinds of heirloom cucumber, keffir lime, and hibiscus flower. Seger often brings the bounty to the bar, where he incorporates the in-season produce into drinks like August’s heirloom tomato mojito, or the sour cherry-lavender-tellicherry peppercorn punch that was served at Rick Bayless's backyard book release party. (Score, we got the highbrow recipe.) Even when fall rolls around, Seger says the garden is still in play: “I can keep some plants alive indoors, especially rosemary, keffir lime, lemongrass, and tarragon. I also do a lot of infusions because they’re a great way to get a taste of summer in the winter.”

This Week's Beautiful Bottle

Monvera - August 5th, 2010

Find out why Hum Botanical Spirits is one of our favorite labels – and learn who's behind this Chicago based the product.

Friday Foodie Forecast

Adventures in Urban Eating - July 30th, 2010

Farm to Bar Bash

Farm to table cooking has been one of this year's biggest restaurant trends, and the focus on local, sustainable ingredients was bound to hit the bar next. On Wednesday, August 4, Big Bowl Ohio Street hosts a "Farm to Bar Bash" with Nacional 27 mixologist Adam Seger. From 7 to 9 PM, Seger will offer $5 specialty cocktails created with fruit from local farmer's markets. Cocktails will include Hibiscus Tea with organic vodka and fruit salsa; sour cherry Hum Mai Thai; local white peach sangria; Hum berry smash and more. Free passed appetizers will be available. Space is limited and reservations can be made by calling (312) 951-1888. Big Bowl Ohio Street is located at 60 E. Ohio Street.

Rick Bayless Knows How to Throw a Fiesta

NBCChicago.com - The Feast - July 29th, 2010

Having just written a book devoted entirely on the subject of fiestas, it's doubtful Rick Bayless left out any details in orchestrating his book and beer release party last night. "We don't have failed fiestas," Bayless says. "You know, it's just like having a failed performance, the guest should never know."

Playing host to an intimate crowd in his Bucktown home last night, Bayless interviewed guests Art Smith of Table 52 and HUM mixologist Adam Seger on his new Sirius XM Radio show. From the food and beverage stations scattered throughout his massive garden to a live mariachi band serenading guests and a rented popsicle cart handing out handmade pops, the surprises were there, but make no mistake they were calculated. "Sometimes people make that mistake that they set up everything up in the kitchen because it seems logical," Bayless says. "But half the food in one place, and half the drinks in a completely other place requires people to move [...] So we always think of all these places we can put people that is unexpected."

Trendspotting at Tales of the Cocktail 2010

Zagat.com Buzz - July 28th, 2010

Moonshine, bartender brands and spluge-worthy rum: Moonshine is going market-fresh with Midnight Moon’s line of soon-to-be released unaged corn whiskeys infused with cherries, raspberries and strawberries. Adam Seger (Chicago’s Nacional 27) and Joe McCanta (London’s Saf) collaborated on the hibiscus- and ginger-infused liqueur Hum, which points to a future of bartender-created spirits.

Farm to Bar Bash

bigbowl.com - July 28th, 2010

Join Big Bowl on Ohio Street for our “Farm to Bar”* bash on Wednesday, August 4th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. In conjunction with Big Bowl’s philosophy of using local and seasonal produce whenever possible, we are applying the same principles to the special cocktails for this event. All of these cocktails have been created by Nacional 27 Master Mixologist Adam Seger, and will feature fresh fruit from Chicago’s Green City Market.
Seger is the co-creator of your famous Hum Spirits, an organic rum infused with fair trade hibiscus, ginger, cardamom and botanicals. Recently released, the popularity of Hum has been spreading like wildfire, and was just featured in zagat.com.

Food's Social Whirl

Sky Full of Bacon - July 10th, 2010

Thanks for the food and drink, though, guys. This was the best cocktail of the night, Adam Seger’s Hum botanical spirit mixed (by Seger himself) with I think lavender-jasmine tea or some such thing. Very floral, but Hum is great stuff. Also enjoyed Smoque brisket, Mundial Cocina Mestizo tamales, some tasty meatballs from Sable, cake balls from Bleeding Heart Bakery, and so on. (I also couldn’t help but think of the recent scandal over a blogger getting his wedding catered by restaurants he covered. Those naughty bloggers!)

The Speakeasy Throwback: A Summit of Local Spirit Producers and Chefs to Benefit Shawn Koch

The Pickled Tongue & Foss Family Chronicals - July 2010

A few months ago, as I was getting ready for my 40th birthday party, I had the good fortune of having Adam Seeger of Hum Spirits and John Kinder of Death’s Door Spirits assisting me in the creation of the drinks to be paired with the miracle berry I was planning on handing out for my guest bartender gig at Pop’s for Champagne. Towards the end of the tasting, we spoke of getting together all of the local spirit producers and a bunch of chefs for a cocktail party in Potter's – the bar here at the Palmer House.

Coconut Steamed Mussels and Arugula Salad

Livwell Network - May 5th, 2010

We cook up coconut steamed mussels and make a couple of interesting drinks!

hum in Tasting Panel

Tasting Panel - May 2010

Another franchise player grabbing headlines is hum (Preiss Imports), an American-born, amaro-styled liqueur created by celebrated mixologists Adam Seger of Chicago and London's Joe McCanta.

Sunny Disposition

Bar Business Magazine - May 2010

Capable of acting as both base spirit or modifier is hum, a rum-based liqueur modeled after Italian and Mediterranean amaros, by mixologists Adam Seger, CCP, of Chicago's Nacional 27, and London's Joe McCanta. Comprised of only five ingredients---sugarcane, hibiscus, cardamom, kaffir lime, and ginger---hum can easily be enjoyed on the rocks or with just a splash of soda for a refreshing summer thirst quencher.

The Food & Spirit Series

foodie - April 2010

The premier episode of the Food & Spirit Series, featuring acclaimed chef Todd Stein of cibo matto (recently named one of the country's best new Italian restaurants by Food & Wine) and award-winning mixologist Adam Seger, creator of the hot new botanical liqueur, hum.

10 Cocktails we're Crazy About

Metromix.com - April 2010

Sullivan's Elixir, $12

We were drawn to this summery cocktail at the Gage because of its pairing of Hendrick's gin with Hum, the hibiscus-ginger-kaffir lime-infused rum that North Shore Distillery made for Nacional 27 mixologist Adam Seger. Once we had it in hand, the presentation (check out that long slice of cucumber wound inside the glass!) won us over, as did the tart and rich flavors of the Hum mingling with cucumber and muddled basil.

Chicago Mixologist Conjures Up Exotic Cocktails

ABC 7 Hungry Hound with Steve Dolinsky - February 20th, 2010

February 19, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- There's been a renaissance in the world of cocktails recently with more local bartenders creating drinks with roots in the pre-prohibition era. But one local mixologist has decided to create his own spirit which can be used in a number of ways.

Cocktail "geeks" like myself are always looking for new spirits or mixers and now we have a new toy. It's called "hum," and it's the brainchild of a busy alchemist who was looking for just the right combination of flavors and aromas in his glass. We caught up with him recently to talk mixology behind the bar, of course.

Liqueurs Rekindle the Flame

Drinks International - February 2010

2010 Good Eating Awards

chicagotribune.com - January 2010

Adam Seger has raised the bar when it comes to Chicago's cocktail culture. The Nacional 27 mixologist/sommelier made his reputation crafting drinks noted for their flavorful flair, fresh ingredients and ultra-primo hooch. He cemented his position with other beverage professionals through his collegiality and mentoring skills, while getting customers to belly up to the bar with his enthusiastic charm.

Who else could turn a strawberry, rhubarb, balsamic vinegar and basil mojito into such a hit that the drink sold out in four hours? That the drink sounds more like dessert than a cocktail is intentional. Seger likens the mixologist's role at the bar to that of a chef in a restaurant's open kitchen. He believes customers are looking for similar things from both: seasonality and top ingredients. He cares so much for quality that he founded Hum Spirits Co. and his first liqueur, Hum, debuted in November.

Hum's the Word - The Newest Weapon in Your Cocktailing Arsenal

Urban Daddy - Leisure - November 2nd, 2009

You've shaken. You've stirred. You've muddled, jiggered, spiked and blended at dangerously high speeds.

You've also been known to mix a mean cocktail or two.

So we'd like to introduce you to a potentially game-changing new weapon in your arsenal of mixology: Hum, a liqueur devised by Chicago's top alchemist, available for your cocktailing pleasure starting tomorrow.

You know Adam Seger as the mad genius behind the bar at Nacional 27, where you've long suspected that his nationally celebrated strawberry-rhubarb-basil-balsamic mojito has something to do with your ability to tango your way across the dance floor without missing a beat.

Hum Hibiscus Liqueur

Tastings.com - September 15th, 2009

Brilliant deep ruby color. Vibrant aromas of cardamom and hibiscus follow through on a round, satiny entry to a vibrant, fruity-yet-dry full body with peppery ginger and pomegranate notes. Finishes with a very long, spicy melange of hibiscus, cardamom and honey. A brilliant flavor creation that could become a mixologist's staple.

International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal

Adam Seger Hums Along With New Liqueur

Chicagoist - August 18th, 2009

When it comes to naming the city's best mixologists, Adam Seger's name is usually one of the first to roll off one's tongue. The general manager of Nacional 27 is a Certified Culinary Professional and worked the lines in kitchens before hearing the sirens' call of the bar. Seger takes the approach of a chef to his cocktailing, sourcing artisan products, growing herbs and spices in the planters lining Nacional 27's sidewalk seating and infusing spirits in-house.