Drink of the Week: Hum Liqueur

Forget the roses this Valentine’s Day and seek out a bottle of Hum liqueur. This garnet-hued spirit is the brainchild of Chicago bartender and advanced sommelier Adam Seger, who has spent nearly two years perfecting the recipe. A blend of rums from Bolivia and North Shore Distillery, and herbs and spices like ginger, whole cardamom, kaffir lime and hibiscus, Hum is spicy and sweet with a touch of bitterness. Hugely aromatic with notes of cardamom, cinnamon bark and ginger, and lots of peppery flavors to match, it’s delicious mixed with Champagne, or in the Hum and Sand cocktail below. The only hitch is that it’s currently only available in California, Illinois and Nevada, but distribution in New York and Texas is coming soon with the rest of the country picking up in the following months. $40 for 750 ml.; humspirits.com

Hum and Sand
1 1/2 oz. Hum
1 1/2 oz. scotch (Seger recommends Springbank 10-Year)
1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 orange, peel on and cut into quarters
Ice cubes
Tools: muddler, shaker, strainer
Glass: rocks

Muddle orange in a heavy rocks glass. Combine liquid ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over the muddled orange into an ice-filled rocks glass.