Pictured above, from left, clockwise, Jackie Summers, aka Jack from Brooklyn, founder of Sorel, Crystal Lilly, key accounts manager, and Josh Davis, mid-US representative and founder of Brown and Balanced.

On this edition of The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias, we welcome some of the folks behind Sorel Liqueur! We chat with founder Jackie Summers, along with Josh Davis and Crystal Lilly. Aside from telling you about Sorel, a Caribbean inspired liqueur connected to Jackie’s family history (and more!), we also talk about Brown and Balanced, an organization started by Josh advocating for black bartenders. Along the way, we discuss diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the drinks business.

It’s always great to have Jackie Summers, aka Jack from Brooklyn, back on the show! It was also equally great to be joined by first-time guests, Josh Davis, who handles the middle of the US for Sorel and is also the founder of Brown and Balanced, and Crystal Lilly, key accounts manager for the brand, who has ties to the Caribbean and experience working in the non-profit sector.

We talk about the story of Sorel (something we have done before) and where the journey has led them since our last visit on the topic. We discuss the Caribbean inspiration for this hibiscus liqueur and how it ties into Jackie’s story. It’s a fascinating history about the first legal black-owned distillery in the post-Prohibition US with lots of twists and turns along the way.

Additionally, Josh and Lilly let us know about their backgrounds and how they came to Sorel. Josh also lets us know about Brown and Balanced and the work they do advocating for black bartenders in the drinks business. Any conversation with Jackie and team Sorel wouldn’t be complete without discussing DEI and the advocacy they do, utilizing the brand, in the drinks business! And, of course, a chat like this also wouldn’t be complete without some good laughs and compelling conversation!

Connect:

Sorel – Website and Instagram

Jackie Summers – Instagram

Josh Davis – Instagram

Brown and Balanced – Website and Instagram

Crystal Lilly – Instagram

Cheers and Be Well, You All!

~ Bryan

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