Interview: Jackie Summers of SOREL-The Spiced Hibiscus Liqueur
Jackie Summers of SOREL
By: Marina Kennedy Sep. 18, 2023
Acclaimed author, seasoned public speaker, and serial entrepreneur, Jackie Summers is the founder of JackFromBrooklyn Inc. and the creator of the award-winning Sorel Liqueur.
Sorel is a spiced hibiscus liqueur that is infinitely versatile and great by itself. Sorel is not just a liqueur created out of the traditions of African and Indigenous cultures, but it represents the legacy of their lineage. Made with Moroccan hibiscus blended with Brazilian clove, Indonesian cassia, Indonesian nutmeg, and Nigerian ginger, this bright red liqueur from Brooklyn is a modern twist on a timeless classic.
In 2012, Jackie Summers became the first known licensed Black Distiller in the United States. His flagship product, Sorel Liqueur, is based on a 500 year old Caribbean recipe, and is an inaugural recipient of the recently established $50M Uncle Nearest Fund. Jackie Summers is a James Beard Finalist, seasoned public speaker, and serial entrepreneur. Ranked among the world’s “100 Most Influential Bar Industry Figures” by Drinks International Magazine (2019, 2020, 2021), The 50 Most Influential People In Brooklyn Food (Brooklyn Magazine, 2015), named to the Imbibe 75 (2021), and named the 2019 Award winner for “Best Food Essay” by the Association of Food Journalists, Jackie has written for everyone from the James Beard Foundation to Plate, Wine Enthusiast, VinePair, Epicurious, Delish, and Edible Brooklyn. Formerly a co-chair of the Education Committee for Tales of the Cocktail and Bar Convent Brooklyn, Jackie was recently named among the inaugural “Drink Innovators of the Year” by Food & Wine Magazine.
Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing Jackie Summers about his career, Sorel and the future!
How did your career in corporate America prepare you as a distiller?
25 years in corporate America was terrific preparation for entrepreneurship. Five years on Wall St. taught me about valuations. 10 years in marketing taught me how to persuade consumers. 10 years in publishing taught me P&L sheets. More importantly, learning finance, creativity, and production taught me that I was never a good fit in corporate America. I’m much better suited for entrepreneurship.
Sorel has a great history. Why do you think it is important for customers to know about it?
Sorel is a story of joy and persistence that stretches back for centuries. It was maintained by enslaved Africans who had their identities stripped from them, who were not allowed to read or write. It’s paramount to me that this story be told, because it’s not my story. I am just the custodian of this narrative for this generation. I take the responsibility of speaking for 20 generations of the unheard with all seriousness.
What have been some of the challenges of bringing Sorel to the liqueur market?
Both in terms of acquiring the resources necessary to run a business, and then building the kind of network required to be successful. The systemic barriers are and have been, significant. The obstacles are both operational and tactical. Black entrepreneurs receive less than 2% of overall funding dollars each year. Black-owned businesses accounted for less than 9% percent of all loans, and are expected to borrow at a higher interest rate. From a tactical perspective, any time I enter a negotiation with a distributor, walk into a bar or restaurant, or a packaged goods store, I am dealing with the reality that it is more likely that these people have seen lions, tigers, and bears in person, yet have never stood in the presence of a Black liquor brand owner.
Why do you think this uniquely wonderful product has a great future?
It has a great future because it has a fantastic past, rich with history. It is a cultural identifier for the entire Afro-Caribbean diaspora, tracing its roots back thousands of years. It’s a terrific story, buttressed by the fact that it’s a remarkable product. There’s nothing on the market that competes, making it distinctive in its authenticity.
Do you have a favorite way to drink Sorel? If it is in a cocktail, will you please share the recipe?
As a person of Caribbean descent, my preferred way to drink Sorel is neat, over ice. In the summertime, I’m preferential to Sorel slushies, and in wintertime? Hot Sorel with a cinnamon stick, and a lemon wheel pricked with whole cloves.
Can you tell us a little about your team at JackFromBrooklyn?
Every member of my team is better at their jobs than I am at mine. They are creative, focused, and dynamic. And we epitomize the diversity we espouse: We are Black/White/Latino/Asian. We are GenX/Millennial/GenY. We are Christian/Muslim/Taoist/Agnostic. We are abled and disabled. We are men and women, straight and queer, and we don’t simply tolerate our differences, we celebrate and lean into them.
We predict you will have a bright future in the spirits industry. Would you like to share with us any of your plans?
The idea for what became Sorel sat in the Caribbean for centuries before I perfected the shelf-stable version in my kitchen in 2012. How many other beverages are out there right now, made in someone’s grandma’s kitchen, with centuries of cultural history, waiting for “The Sorel Treatment?” I will never produce a gin, vodka, rum, whisky, or other base spirit. There are enough of those in the world; God bless the people who are doing them well. I intend to use however many years I have left on earth finding these treasures, vesting people from their communities in the company, and using great products to tell stories of the unheard.
To learn more about Sorel, please visit https://sorelofficial.com/.
You can follow Sorel on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/SorelOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/sorelofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/theliquortarian/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-summers-80b80/
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jackie Summers and Sorel
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