Michael Sanson

It was inevitable that the star-power chefs have achieved in recent years would eventually spread to the world of mixology. After all, the best in each category seek out the finest ingredients and prepare them with loving care. And the result is sublime. This point was no more evident then at the recent Cheers Conference in New Orleans, where some of the country's best mixologists gathered to discuss shop and, more importantly, strut their stuff. Among those gathered was Adam Seger, who has long demonstrated the clear divide between mere bartenders and true mixologists.

Take a look at his credentials: Seger is a Certified Culinary Professional who has served as a Cocktail Advisor for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, which has more than 80 restaurants around the country. He's also an alumnus of other world-renowned restaurants, including Michelin Star Chez Julien in Strasbourg, France, and the legendary French Laundry in Napa. An advanced-level Sommelier, Seger is also at the forefront of a movement to use garden-fresh ingredients in cocktails. In fact, he's currently working on a cocktail book titled Drink Like You Eat: 40 Cocktails from the Garden to the Glass.

What also separates Seger from the pack is his creation — along with London mixologist Joe McCanta — of a botanical spirit called Hum, which infuses pot still rhum with fair trade hibiscus, ginger root, green cardamom and kaffir lime. “The name was derived from the Caribbean spelling of rhum and the iconic Martinique hummingbird,” he explained.

As you may have concluded, Seger is a brainy, forward- thinking craftsman with the eye, the heart and the palate of an artist. There are bartenders and then there is Seger. The bar has been set.