Nacional 27's Adam Seger Teams with Moët Hennessey USA and Amy Cox of Cutting Edge Culinary & Garden Consulting on "El HerBARio" bar garden

Inspired by both the herb pots growing on the kitchen window sill while apprenticing at Michelin Star restaurant Chez Julien in Strasbourg, France, and the summer vegetable garden at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, Nacional 27 Manager, Sommelier and Mixologist Adam Seger launched the restaurant's 10 Cane Mojito Garden last year, dubbed a "potent potager" by Gourmet magazine.

This summer, the project has grown beyond the various mints, lemon thyme and aromatic flowers on the restaurant's 10 Cane Mojito Garden menu to include sweet and savory botanicals such as:

Purple and Thai basil, Epazote, Fennel, Lemongrass, Lavender, Ginger and pineapple mint, Nasturtium, Cuban oregano, Rosemary, Stevia, Lemon thyme, Yerba Buena, Kaffir lime leaf


These will inspire culinary-driven cocktails such as:

10 Cane Mojito with Pineapple Mint and Roasted Orange Salsa

Sugar-Free Kaffir Lime, Lemongrass and Stevia Belvedere Vodka Caipiroshka

Hennessey VSOP Thyme and Lavender Sidecar

Grand Marnier Black Cherry and Rosemary Margarita

Navan Basil, Cucumber and Nasturtium Highball

These and many more cocktails will be featured on a rotating basis based on the growing cycles of our sustainably-grown herbs.

The bar garden was built by Amy Cox of Cutting Edge Culinary & Garden Consulting, a company that creates custom programs for culinary professionals who are interested in bringing a fresh, sustainable approach to their business. Cox credits three years of cooking classes at Vie Restaurant, studying under Food & Wine's 2007 Best New Chef Paul Virant and his staff, as pivotal in learning the operations of a professional sustainable kitchen. She also took the Building Urban Gardens Program at Openlands for training on sustainable gardening practices.
From: Ellen Malloy, Paperclip, inc.