Sorel | Booze Business: A Blog Dedicated to the Business of Spirits and Wine

The Aftermath – Help Needed

November 13, 2012 No Comments

Two weeks after the super storm, parts of New York and New Jersey remain damaged or devastated.

Here is the story of three booze businesses and how they are faring.

1. Jack From Brooklyn and Sorel is struggling and needs some help.

They suffered catastrophic damage as five feet of seawater swarmed through the distillery, wiping out supplies and equipment and causing long-term damage. But, they are committed to rebuilding and need support.

If you’d like to donate please go to http://www.gofundme.com/jackfrombrooklyn

You can also help them by buying some product. Astor Wine and DrinkUpNY are two of the online retailers who sell Sorel.

Red Hook Distilleries and Sandy

October 31, 2012 No Comments

“Red Hook was overrun by the Sea,” my friend Jack Summers owner of Sorel Artisanal Liqueur, told me when I called to check in with him. “The storm was a disaster, but not a catastrophe.”

From what I read and saw, I’m not sure that’s totally accurate but then again, Jack is the most can-do person I know with a strong positive outlook.

Red Hook is the home of many of the Brooklyn distilleries and breweries and the area was among the hardest hit neighborhoods in New York City. Sandy killed people there and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands.

Some booze business distilleries were destroyed, some somehow managed to survive unscathed and some, like Jack From Brooklyn were dealt serious, but hopefully not fatal blows.

Sorel: The Story Continues

October 1, 2012 No Comments

Sorel is a startup spirits venture from a company called Jack From Brooklyn. Jack Summers and his partners, Alan Camet and Rich Nazario, run it.

If you are a regular reader of Booze Business, you know that I’ve been following the adventures of Jack and his associates and have written about their efforts on a number of occasions (see April 27, June 5 and June 13^th postings this year). It’s a blog meets startup meets reality show.

Well, the summer has gone by and I spoke with Jack Summers about what they have been doing. Here’s the conversation: