Jackie Summers' Sorel is a relatively recent spirit offering that's been about three decades in the making. Summers grew up drinking sorrel, the tangy-sweet tea made from dried hibiscus flower, spices and sugar that's enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. Besides being refreshing, sorrel has a range of health benefits. A health scare in 2010 inspired Summers, who worked in publishing, to resign and pursue his idea to make a liqueur based on the flavors of sorrel, also known as jamaica (huh-mye-kuh) in Latin America. He thought he was on his way to seeing his dream come true in 2012 when he became the first Black American to secure a distillers' license since Prohibition. He started production, using natural cassia, cloves, nutmeg and ginger to give Sorel depth and layers. After a hurricane destroyed his distillery, and a few other setbacks, Summers relaunched production with a stake from from Fawn Weaver's Uncle Nearest Investment Fund. Sorel is a tangy and tasty addition to sparkling wine or a Cosmopolitan, but it also broadens the story of African American distilling in the US.