Hum Bottles
When one begins conversations regarding the Chicago mixology scene, the conversation will inevitably end up on the topic of Adam Seger. As the general manager of National 27, he is able to channel his culinary precision into his works of liquid deliciousness. His latest concoction is Hum Spirit, a raw cane rum infused with a proprietary mixture of hibiscus, ginger, kaffir limes, and cardamom. At his annual New Year’s Day bash, he introduced me to a sidecar using the spirit, as well as spiking many-a-beer with the stuff. It was delicious, and I needed a bottle.
The bottle, however, sat unused on my shelf for nearly a month. I was attempting to find out a proper usage for such an odd spirit. Consulting the ancient tomes gave me no leads. The classics had no spirit that was so powerfully ginger fronted. I tried to use it as a gin for certain items, but it turned out to have too much ‘sweet’. I attempted to use it as a rum, but it had too much ‘spice’. I tried a sazarac using Hum as a rinse to a somewhat satisfying degree. The best “old with a twist” cocktail I was able to find was a take on the aviation, simply replacing the Violette with Hum. I learned through my experiments that Hum is something different. Hum requires a cocktail entirely new.
The Hum(p)
1 oz. Hum Spirit
1 oz. Courvoisier Exclusiv
.5 oz. Lime Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
.5 oz. Hibiscus Syrup*
3 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Shake over ice. Serve. Enjoy.
The Hum(p)
The Hum Aviation
2 oz. Tanqueray 10
.5 oz. lemon juice
.5 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
.25 oz. Hum Spirit
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake, strain, serve with a maraschino cherry.
The Hum Aviation
*Hibiscus Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cups dried hibiscus flowers (if you are in Chicago, I got mine from Tea Gschwendner, whom I recommend for all syrup and bitters components)
In a pan, bring water, sugar and dried hibiscus to a boil. Let boil for one minute. Then remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the hibiscus into a large container. Press the flowers well with a spoon to release all the juice. Discard the solids (although they are edible and tasty when dried again). Let the syrup cool and then place in a bottle and keep refrigerated.
Dedicated Spirits 