Jack from Brooklyn has released a new liqueur called Sorel based on a traditional non-alcoholic, traditional Jamaican concoction, sorrel, that combines hibiscus tea, ginger, allspice, cloves, and sugar. This liqueur is only 15% alcohol, but that makes it shelf-stable, at least for a good while.
Tasted straight, the initial impression is floral, then you descend the ginger stairway to the earthy, savory allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove department.
That alcohol level also makes it more of a mixer than a sipper, but it is delicious on its own, and the quality of the ingredients really set it apart from so many other drinks. It is deeply spicy, woody, and there is some acid that will pucker you up. It is definitely leaning spicy and warm with fruity and floral notes, all in harmony. It does seem to capture all of the ingredients at almost ideal states of dehydration, freshness, all infused at the right temperature. That is no small feat. Color me impressed.
It is not remotely like Averna,which is for me the most symphonic Italian amaro - it is a completely different thing. But I would compare it to Averna in terms of its complexity and layers. I would also compare it to an exceptionally complex vermouth, even though it isn't red wine based.
Sorel liqueur is made by Jackie Summers, a Black entrepreneur from Brooklyn with roots
in Barbados and a background in food chemistry. The spirit is made from
organic grain alcohol flavored with Moroccan hibiscus, Indonesian
nutmeg, Nigerian ginger, cassia from Indonesia, and Brazillian cloves.
This is definitely a very sophisticated, elevated take on traditional sorrel. I know it is supposed to be "shelf stable," but I think this kind of freshness would be hard to preserve, and this is not necessarily a cheap condiment. I would keep it in the fridge and reach for it regularly, just like I would a good vermouth.
Sorel sounds like something that you'd expect to find somewhere on the back bar of a first-class tiki establishment next to velvet falernum, but it has color, and way more personality and complexity. It may prove to be something more than a mixer.
This liqueur has a deep purple, crimson flavor a-la-hibiscus tea. It will definitely add color to a cocktail.
Sorel makes the mouth water as the spices unwind on your plate, so enjoy it before you mix it. 1/2 ounce of this liqueur could make for a brilliant adjusted cocktail. Imagine substituting 1/2 of an ounce of Sorel for 1/2 ounce of sweet vermouth in a negroni. It is also not bad with soda and lime, or mixed with a sparkling wine as a more exotic take on a kir royale.
If you're a bartender, this is a liqueur you're going to want to play with for a long time, because it's simply brilliant and beautifully executed. It's a straight-up home run.
(96 Points)
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