Jackie Summers

Jackie Summers is an American microdistiller, writer and chief executive officer of Jack from Brooklyn. In 2012, he became the first Black person in the United States to be granted a license to make liquor post-Prohibition.

Jackie Summers
Born (1967-10-22) October 22, 1967
Occupation(s)CEO, Jack from Brooklyn
Known forSorel Liqueur
Websitehttps://jackiesummers.nyc/

Early life

Summers is of Caribbean descent and is originally from Queens.[1][2] His grandparents immigrated to the United States from Barbados in the 1920s.[3] According to Summers, "when I was growing up, there was always a pitcher of sorrel, a type of hibiscus tea, in the kitchen. After the kids were in bed, the adults would put a splash of rum in it".[4] Jackie's father was a pianist (playing with Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday, among others) and his mother worked as a research scientist.[5]

Career

Jack from Brooklyn

After a cancer diagnosis in 2010 resulting in the removal of a tumor near his spine,[6] Summers resigned from his job as a publishing executive to start Jack from Brooklyn (a nickname of his) to make Sorel Liqueur, a modern version of the roselle-based Caribbean beverage.[7][8][9]

In 2012, he became the first Black person in the United States to be granted a license to make liquor.[10][1][11] Summers' small-batch sorrel liqueur is a deep garnet color, and along with hibiscus, is also flavored with cloves, cassia, nutmeg and ginger.[12][13][14] After the Jack from Brooklyn distillery was damaged in Hurricane Sandy, Sorel relaunched in 2013, operating until Jack from Brooklyn paused production in 2015.[6]

In October 2021, the brand relaunched after an investment from the Uncle Nearest Venture Fund.[15][16]

Other work

Before becoming a distiller, Summers worked in magazine publishing.[17] Summers has also written for Edible Brooklyn, Esquire, Wine Enthusiast, and Plate.[9] In 2019, his essay "Rice is at the Intersection of Poverty" was awarded Best Food Essay by the Association of Food Journalists.[18][6]

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he and Daniella Veras launched a Virtual Happy Hour on Zoom that became popular.[17][19]

Recognition

In 2014 Brooklyn Magazine named him one of the 50 most influential people in Brooklyn food.[20] He was named to Drinks International's list of the 100 most influential people in the bar world in 2019, 2020, and 2021.[21] In 2019 he won an American Food Journalists award for Best Food Essay for his piece for Plate magazine, "Rice Is at the Overlap for Poverty and Comfort".[22] In 2021 he was named to the Imbibe 75 People to Watch list.[2][23] In 2022, Summers was named one of Food & Wine's Drinks Innovators of the Year.[24] His Epicurious piece "All the Food You Can Eat and Only the Family You Can Stand" was nominated for a 2022 James Beard Foundation Award.[25]

References
  1. Mosley, Tonya (August 11, 2020). "People Of Color Break Barriers In White-Dominated, 'Impenetrable' Alcoholic Beverage Industry". NPR. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  2. Cotto, Andrew (February 4, 2021). "How 'Jack from Brooklyn' became a 30-proof pioneer". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  3. "Jack From Brooklyn: Sorel Caribbean Liqueur". Epicurious Videos. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  4. Courant, CECILY MCANDREWS, Special To The. "A Boozy Tour of Red Hook". courant.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "People Of Color Break Barriers In White-Dominated, 'Impenetrable' Alcoholic Beverage Industry". www.wbur.org. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  6. Kinsman, Kat (October 1, 2021). "It's Jackie Summers' Time to Shine". Food & Wine. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  7. Mosley, Tonya; Young, Robin (August 11, 2020). "Jazz Musician Maria Schneider; Diversity In Alcohol Industry". WBEZ Chicago. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  8. "Jackie Summers – Founder, Blender". www.barnonedrinks.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  9. Rense, Sarah (June 25, 2020). "I Was the Only Black Man Making Liquor in America. Not Much Has Changed—Except Me". Esquire. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  10. Cotto, Andrew (February 4, 2021). "How 'Jack from Brooklyn' became a 30-proof pioneer - Brooklyn Magazine". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  11. Lyons, Billy (August 10, 2019). "Lessons from Cocktail Festival Inclusion Training". Fortune. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  12. "Food Trends: Sorrel Is Having Its Moment". Tasting Table. June 1, 2012. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.; Clarke, Paul (February 16, 2012). "New York Distilleries". Imbibe Magazine. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  13. "Here's the Local Spirit You Should Be Sipping This Spring". www.villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  14. "City Scope: Brooklyn, New York –". Market Watch. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  15. "Sorel Liqueur Relaunches This Summer". BevNET.com. June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  16. "Sorel liqueur relaunches with Uncle Nearest backing". Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  17. "Caribbean Sunshine in a Brooklyn Bottle". Edible Brooklyn. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  18. "Rice is at the Intersection of Poverty and Comfort". Plate. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  19. Shatkin, Elina (July 23, 2020). "Some Bars Are Bringing Happy Hour To You". LAist. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.; "'You Don't Go to a Bar for the Alcohol': Seeking Community in Quarantine". Wine Enthusiast. May 21, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  20. "The 50 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Food". Brooklyn Magazine. September 10, 2014. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  21. "Drinks International Bar List 2021". edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  22. "2019 AFJ Awards Finalists". Association of Food Journalists. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  23. "Imbibe 75". Imbibe Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  24. Kinsman, Kat (March 15, 2022). "Drinks Innovators of the Year: Jackie Summers". Food & Wine. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  25. Canavan, Hillary Dixler (March 16, 2022). "Here Are the 2022 James Beard Awards Restaurant, Chef, and Media Finalists". Eater. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
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