New NFT Bar, Botanica, opens in San Diego with Genever on the menu

by James · October 21, 2022

Ever wanted to buy unique digital collectibles while knocking back spirits and wagyu oyster starters? Stop trying to log into Neopets again with takeaway in hand and check out NFT bar Botanica, opening in North Park on Thursday 27 October. Be Saha Hospitality Group, the team behind Tahona and Wormwood, supports this 1,500 square meter great lounge. Executive chef Tiffany Tran joins former Michelin-starred Addison colleague Janina Garay to develop the food menu while Marina Ferreira, co-founder of RoseWater Cocktail Co., creates drinks centered on geneva, the spirit that precipitated gin.

According to a press release, genever, (which is literally Dutch for “juniper”), is really the star of the show; it is a Dutch malted grain-based spirit that can only be made in Holland or Belgium. At Botanica, the drink will be served in prim flutes and is intended to be drunk with one hand behind the back, as is the custom in the Netherlands. Gin and other botanical spirits are also featured heavily on the bar menu. A few cocktail options include the Swan No. 1, a vintage swan bowl glass of Monkey 47 gin topped with Thomas Keller caviar, and the meditative rose with geneva and notes of rose, sandalwood and harissa. For food, there is salmon served three ways, croquettes and ingredients from farmers’ market vegetables with avocado hummus.

And don’t forget about these non-fungible tokens. An entire wall inside the bar will be dedicated to digital art; the project is a joint venture with San Diego-based blockchain company Humbl. Sales of the various artworks benefit Create Purpose, a non-profit organization that provides educational programming to Mexican orphanages. All of this is fitting, given that Botanica opens in the same building as Art Produce, a non-profit organization that aims to connect artists, farmers, cultural organizations and businesses. An urban garden is also on site, with proceeds from events held in the space benefiting yet another non-profit organization, the Art Produce Foundation. The NFT boom, which chefs and restaurants could profit from, has been in full swing for some time now.