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A Chicago mixologist who’s worked for companies including United Airlines and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises was arrested on Wednesday in New Orleans stemming from a rape allegation that dates back three years. Adam Seger, 48, was jailed in Orleans Parish Prison and charged with a count of third-degree rape, according to court documents. Seger allegedly raped a man at a July 2015 party Seger hosted during the Tales of the Cocktail conference that’s annually held in New Orleans.
Seger is well regarded in Chicago’s restaurant industry. He’s created cocktails for restaurants such as Maple & Ash, Tru, and Nacional 27. United also employed him two years ago to train its bartenders and create drinks for its frequent fliers and club customers. He’s been splitting his time between Chicago and New York and was in Chicago for the James Beard Awards in May. Seger is a cocktail consultant and worked as executive bartender and corporate sommelier for iPic Entertainment, a luxury movie theater company based in Florida with more than 100 locations across the country. The company has fired him following the news of the allegations, according to a company statement. The company said they weren’t aware of the allegations before hiring him in 2016.
The alleged incident happened on July 17, 2015, according to records obtained by The Times-Picayune. The victim reported the incident to police on July 20, 2015. After passing out at the party, the victim woke up and said he found Seger performing oral sex without consent, according to the newspaper. A warrant was signed for Seger’s arrest last year on July 25, 2017. The police records reportedly contained photos of Seger and the victim with Seger asleep in the man’s lap. After the alleged incident, Seger reportedly repeatedly apologized to the victim. According to reports, he sent a bottle of champagne to the victim’s table two days after the incident while at an event the two attended separately.
Seger was held on a $25,000 bond. He posted the requisite amount and was released on Wednesday night, according to Orleans Parish Prison records. His next court date is August 15. An email sent to Seger on Wednesday produced an auto response stating that he was out of the country. Tuesday was Seger’s birthday.
Read a portion of iPic’s statement below:
“We take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously. It is our highest priority to uphold policies that ensure iPic Entertainment remains a safe and supportive environment for our team members and guests. These acts are inconsistent with our values as a company and are in no way reflective of the over 2,000 team members employed by iPic.”
