July 27, 2026

Sorrel – 400 Years of Tradition and Legacy

Sorrel – 400 Years of Tradition and Legacy
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon Spreaker podcast player icon iHeartRadio podcast player icon Amazon Music podcast player icon Castbox podcast player icon Pandora podcast player icon Deezer podcast player icon Podcast Addict podcast player icon Podchaser podcast player icon Youtube Music podcast player icon Castamatic podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon Fountain podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon Goodpods podcast player icon Overcast podcast player icon PocketCasts podcast player icon Podurama podcast player icon Podverse podcast player icon Podyssey podcast player icon
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon Spreaker podcast player icon iHeartRadio podcast player icon Amazon Music podcast player icon Castbox podcast player icon Pandora podcast player icon Deezer podcast player icon Podcast Addict podcast player icon Podchaser podcast player icon Youtube Music podcast player icon Castamatic podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon Fountain podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon Goodpods podcast player icon Overcast podcast player icon PocketCasts podcast player icon Podurama podcast player icon Podverse podcast player icon Podyssey podcast player icon
Season 2

Today we’re joined by Nzinga Knight, founder and CEO of Brooklyn Brewed Sorrel, a Black-owned and Caribbean-owned beverage brand, bringing a traditional Sorrel drink to modern celebrations. What began in a home kitchen has grown into a premium nonalcoholic hibiscus-spiced mocktail and mixer rooted in over 400 years of Caribbean heritage. Let's dig into dreams of entrepreneurship, culture, mindful drinking, and what it takes to build a brand that honors tradition while reaching new audiences.

ASharpe Outlook is broadcast live Mondays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). ASharpe Outlook TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).

ASharpe Outlook Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/asharpe-outlook--6643730/support.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.639
This program is designed to provide general information with regards

2
00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:07.639
to the subject matters covered. This information is given with

3
00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:12.039
the understanding that neither the hosts, guests, sponsors or station

4
00:00:12.279 --> 00:00:19.120
are engaged in rendering any specific and personal medical, financial, legal, counseling,

5
00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:23.519
professional service, or any advice. You should seek the services

6
00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:29.839
of competent professionals before applying or trying any suggested ideas.

7
00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.600
Hello and thank you for tuning in to a Sharp

8
00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:38.920
Outlook on pay for HD Radio and Talk or TV.

9
00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:43.159
Hi am Angela Sharp your host. I'll arm to your

10
00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:47.320
discussions with industry experts will give you the steps, tools

11
00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:51.399
and information to be successful in business and to prepare

12
00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:56.200
you to be your best self. Hello and welcome back

13
00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:01.920
to a Sharp Outlook. Today we are going with Nazinga Knight.

14
00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:07.040
She is the founder and CEO of Brooklyn Brood Sorel.

15
00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:11.359
It is a Black owned and Caribbean owned beverage brand,

16
00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:16.920
bringing a traditional surrel drink to modern celebrations. What began

17
00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:20.519
in a home kitchen has grown into a premium non

18
00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:26.359
alcoholic hibiscus spice mocktail and mixer, rooting in over four

19
00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:32.000
hundred years of Caribbean heritage and born in Brooklyn Brooklyn's

20
00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:40.560
Little Caribbean. We're talking today about entrepreneurship, culture, mindful drinking,

21
00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:43.439
and what it takes to build a brand that honors

22
00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:48.560
tradition while reaching new audiences. And I want you to

23
00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:52.560
say before my guests comes on, I have been buying

24
00:01:53.319 --> 00:01:56.840
that Brooklyn Brood sorrel for years and it is one

25
00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.879
of the best tasting beverages I've ever had. And so

26
00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:05.280
that's just my two cents worth. So I'm going to

27
00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:08.240
invite our guests today to join me on the show.

28
00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:10.240
Hi.

29
00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:15.319
Hello, good to see you. I'm so glad to see you.

30
00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:20.280
I have been enjoying your beverage for years and I

31
00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:23.719
get the smaller bottles and pass them out to my friends.

32
00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:28.919
I was like, by so I just wanted to be

33
00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.639
able to share this information to the rest of the

34
00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:37.759
world so that they can just enjoy something so tasteful.

35
00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:40.479
So it's a pleasure.

36
00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:43.879
It's a pleasure to be here. And when I saw

37
00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:48.719
your email, and it wasn't just our stores telling us

38
00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:51.919
that there was another order, and I was I was

39
00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:55.560
really one of I was happy to see wait and

40
00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:59.240
repeat customers like yourself. I'll pop up like okay, there

41
00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:03.759
goes answer, yeah, you know ordering and this time to see,

42
00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:07.520
you know, a request to be on a show that

43
00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:11.360
you do. That was exciting because then I get to

44
00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:14.159
know more about like what you do, you know what

45
00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:16.800
I do. But now I know that she hosts a

46
00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:18.400
podcast as well.

47
00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:23.840
Yes, yes, and I'll tell you I just couldn't keep

48
00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:24.400
this secret.

49
00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.039
It's like this, you know, because even when I have

50
00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:31.719
dinners and guests, everybody's like, oh my gosh, where do

51
00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:34.199
you get that? Okay, here's a car, Oh, here's an

52
00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:39.280
extra bottle here. So I even go to my neighbor's fence. Hey,

53
00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.919
you want to try something tasty, and they're just loving it.

54
00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:47.319
So I'm hoping. I'm hoping that I'm doing you justice

55
00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:52.919
by spreading the word. I appreciate so much, absolutely so

56
00:03:53.039 --> 00:04:00.240
for people that haven't discovered Brooklyn Beards Brewed Surrel, tell

57
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:06.159
us a little bit about yourself and what's in your

58
00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:09.120
heart that was behind developing this brand.

59
00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:15.960
So I was born in Little Caribbean Brooklyn, New York,

60
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:21.759
as you know, and my parents are from Guyana that's

61
00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:25.319
my mother's side, and turned it out on my father's side.

62
00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:30.480
So when they came to the States when they were teenagers.

63
00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:36.720
Then they kind of moved to Brooklyn and to East

64
00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:42.759
Flatbush eventually, and I, you know, growing up there then

65
00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:45.519
I did like certain things about the culture, Like I

66
00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:50.480
liked the food for sure, and the neighborhood people just were.

67
00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:56.959
Like friendly and outgoing that sort of thing. But I

68
00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:59.600
felt like I didn't have like, as I got older,

69
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.480
I didn't have as much of an appreciation appreciation for

70
00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:05.920
my roots, right because then I was getting supposed to

71
00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:11.759
more of like the cosmopolitan side of New York. And

72
00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.800
so I have a background in fashion, and I was

73
00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:19.759
doing New York Fashion Week project run with all these things,

74
00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:27.720
and you know, fashion is a pretty demanding, competitive, not

75
00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:32.480
easy fields. People had told me that. But eventually, you know,

76
00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:35.759
you know, I was very hard working, very striving. I

77
00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:38.680
was doing okay in that and well in some ways.

78
00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.319
But I had kind of like hit a hard point

79
00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:46.079
in my career. And whereas I had moved, you know,

80
00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:49.920
to like other parts of Brooklyn, the here, I was

81
00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:55.360
now back at my parents home in Little Caribbean and

82
00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:59.560
you know, in my early thirties and feeling like a

83
00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:03.079
big diy and out about that, you know, And so

84
00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:05.879
that was kind of like my general attitude at the time,

85
00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.839
Why me, Why am I here all of this? And

86
00:06:11.079 --> 00:06:16.000
one day then I was decided I wanted to get

87
00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:19.680
out of that mood that I was in, and I

88
00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:20.360
wanted to.

89
00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:26.399
Kind of see my neighborhood, the.

90
00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:29.439
Neighborhood I grew up in, with new eyes. And so

91
00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:31.560
I decided I wasn't just going to be walking through

92
00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:33.920
the neighborhood to get from point aidyhood b I was

93
00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:39.480
going to kind of embrace it and look around. And

94
00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:41.560
at the same time, when I'm doing like this tour

95
00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:45.199
of this neighborhood that I grew up in and now

96
00:06:45.240 --> 00:06:49.399
I was back living in, I had this craving for sorrow,

97
00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:53.120
so for my dad's sorrow that he made when I

98
00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:57.360
was a teenager, and he had also fallen apart like

99
00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:03.199
hard career times, came an entrepreneur out of you know,

100
00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:07.800
out of necessity. Then chose this thing that like had

101
00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:13.319
been in his family for centuries and you know, generations,

102
00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:16.040
And so then there I was with this craving for it,

103
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.480
and my dad hadn't made it in like ten years,

104
00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:22.560
and so he gave me the recipe for it off

105
00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:26.920
the top of his head, and I made some It

106
00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:29.680
was for like four gallons, four or five gallons, and

107
00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:33.759
so I found a bunch of bottles, spiffied it up,

108
00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.319
and I spiffed them up, and I bottled the drink.

109
00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:38.759
And then I.

110
00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:42.680
Had like all these different events to go to, and

111
00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.319
I decided I was just bringing the drinks everywhere because

112
00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:50.120
they could not stay in the family fridge in a

113
00:07:50.199 --> 00:07:53.360
bout of space anyway. And then something to hear. So

114
00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:58.759
it was like this mix of like me having like

115
00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:04.839
this design for another entrepreneurial thing to do, and then

116
00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.360
at the same time needing to find some gratitude for

117
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:15.720
my place in life at the time, and also connect

118
00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.920
my culture and my roots and like find some appreciation

119
00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:20.959
for where it came from.

120
00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:24.439
So all that together.

121
00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:27.920
Yeah, and a lot of people when they when they

122
00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:31.160
you know, go out into the corporate world and doing

123
00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:34.639
different things, because I did the same thing. I you know,

124
00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:37.879
I was divorced very young, and then I have my

125
00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:40.320
two children to take care of them. It's like, Okay,

126
00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:42.159
I've got to get through college, I've got to go

127
00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:43.799
out here and work in the corporate world.

128
00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:47.399
And I kind of left traditions and everything behind.

129
00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:55.559
And and then I remember moving to the Midwest and decided,

130
00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.120
you know what, I couldn't eat the foods that I

131
00:08:59.279 --> 00:08:59.759
was used to.

132
00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:01.799
Eat where I had moved to.

133
00:09:02.759 --> 00:09:04.960
And I thought, well, I'm just going to start her

134
00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:09.000
death because I can't eat this stuff. And so I said,

135
00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.120
I'm going to have to open up a restaurant just

136
00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:14.039
so I can eat. And so that's what I did.

137
00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:17.320
And it was something that my mother. She had always

138
00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:19.240
in fact, to come from a family of all these

139
00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:24.159
wonderful cooks. And my mother used to do baking, and

140
00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:27.320
she would be able to sell her cakes and her pies,

141
00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:31.600
her dinner rolls and all these different things to the

142
00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:37.080
local bakery and you know, they sold them, and so

143
00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:40.600
she was supplying them with these goods all the time,

144
00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:44.919
but she never ever got credit for you know that

145
00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:46.840
she was preparing it. I mean, he paid her, but

146
00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:50.879
her name wasn't on it. And I thought, now I've

147
00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:53.000
got to get these because I'm the last daughter in

148
00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:57.799
my family. And so when I gone, when I'm gone,

149
00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:02.679
then all of the cooking, all of that wisdom, all

150
00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:05.720
that stuff dies with me. So I said, I'm going

151
00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.039
to start a restaurant, and.

152
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:08.240
So I did.

153
00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:12.799
So I feel your passioned, you know, to go back

154
00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:16.480
and grab because that's where I found my strength to

155
00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:20.360
just keep moving on and doing the things that I

156
00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:20.919
do now.

157
00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:27.799
Yeah, yeah, nice, I totally understand. So going back in.

158
00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:34.279
Putting that recipe together and everything and bringing all those memories,

159
00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:37.759
is that when you just kind of triggered to you, oh,

160
00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:40.600
somebody else is going to enjoy this or when did

161
00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.440
you get that that thought?

162
00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:45.080
Let me start a business with this.

163
00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.200
So as soon as I brought it to those differenty fans,

164
00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:54.440
right away people thought that it was a product, and

165
00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:59.399
the right away people were curious about it, even just

166
00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:03.200
without seeing the bottle, like because you know, well, because

167
00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:05.559
I was going to these day parties.

168
00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:07.320
There were these day parties was a.

169
00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:12.639
Trend I guess ten years ago or something ten about

170
00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.039
ten years ago that was very trendy.

171
00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:16.360
And so.

172
00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:21.559
Day parties were typically non alcoholic anyway because it was

173
00:11:21.639 --> 00:11:25.759
during the day and I and so it was like

174
00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:30.080
at these different parts at these events with this friend

175
00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:33.679
group was this huge like friends social group. Then they

176
00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:37.200
typically had like maybe tea, they would have like snacks,

177
00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:40.600
and then when I come through with this like glass

178
00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:46.080
bottle of this red drink and you know, pouring it

179
00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:48.919
for them or they're getting some and they're smelling the

180
00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:51.759
aroma of it, you know, and it smells nice and

181
00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:54.720
like Laurel with the spice. And then they're tasting it

182
00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.120
and it tastes interesting. It's something that the that's conversational.

183
00:11:58.320 --> 00:11:59.919
It's you start.

184
00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:04.240
Getting saying at the the the recipe and the spices

185
00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:08.480
and all that. Then they automatically were very curious and

186
00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.080
wanting more of it.

187
00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:17.000
And then also the presentation of it made them think, oh,

188
00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:20.240
this must be you know, are you selling this for me.

189
00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:25.200
Coming from a design background, then always think about presentation

190
00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:27.679
of the packaging and presentation.

191
00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:29.720
So even though I was making this Drenking.

192
00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.360
I hadn't right away to decide it was going to

193
00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.600
be a business. I was still going to package it

194
00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:39.320
like it was special, you know. And so that was

195
00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:42.559
so right away people were asking me about it, asking

196
00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.919
me if they could they could buy it, and I

197
00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:49.919
just like posted myself making it, like on my Facebook

198
00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:54.720
page and yeah, and then Mother's Day came up and

199
00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:57.600
I got my first customer. It was a childhood friend

200
00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.320
and she said, oh, you know, we're taking my mother

201
00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:03.720
out to brunch. As when if I could buy a

202
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:10.000
bottle for me? You know, did that, and it's kept

203
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.960
going from the people who were like coming to my

204
00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:17.840
apartment and you know, picking up two bottles, or then

205
00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:20.720
then somebody saw it in Chicago and I had to

206
00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:23.960
figure out how to like ship it to her.

207
00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:28.799
She wanted it. So it just like slowly progressed from there.

208
00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.080
At the beginning, like Okay, yeah, I think I will

209
00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:34.240
turn this into a thing into actual business.

210
00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:38.799
Yeah it was, and your packaging is just superb. I

211
00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:42.519
just want you to know that it is. Yeah, unbelievably

212
00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:48.320
that those bottles are so secure. Everything about it is incredible.

213
00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:51.200
Like I said, when I saw it the first thing,

214
00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:55.840
they say, oh my god, this is just just incredible drink.

215
00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:59.600
This is just wonderful. What is it? And so I

216
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:02.519
would it's like, oh my god, where can I get it?

217
00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:05.039
Okay, let me give you a card so that you can,

218
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:10.840
you know, be one one more person purchasing it. Because

219
00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:14.879
because that first time I took a sip, and I've

220
00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:18.559
lived all over the country, I've traveled and you know,

221
00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:21.480
I've been a wine connoisseur and things like that. But

222
00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:23.240
then when you start getting a little older and you

223
00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:28.240
need to cut back on the alcohol. H I just

224
00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:33.000
appreciate it. It is so great with beef and and

225
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.559
oh my gosh, it's just an lamb. Oh, it really

226
00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:39.720
brings out the flavor in my lambs because you know

227
00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:42.279
the lamb you have all those splices and things on it,

228
00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:44.080
and then you put this drink with it.

229
00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:46.360
Oh my god, it's incredible.

230
00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:52.840
You really know your stuff and you know your parings. Yeah, yeah,

231
00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:56.120
you appreciate that you.

232
00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:59.039
Share it and like talk about it and recommend it,

233
00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:04.000
yeah to your friends and family. So great.

234
00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.240
And me say this is this is a recipe that

235
00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:11.279
has existed for like four hundred years at least, you.

236
00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:15.519
Know, like basically in the Caribbean.

237
00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:20.879
Then people make it a lot of times with special events,

238
00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:22.480
especially around Christmas time.

239
00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:23.080
Like there's some.

240
00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:28.639
Caribbean people who if they see sorrow served in July,

241
00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:33.279
then they're like surprise, you know, especially the older generation

242
00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:38.159
because they maybe that it was always kept at this time,

243
00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:42.759
like at Christmas time, and but now there's you know,

244
00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:46.440
so companies like Brooklyn Broop Sorrow, but even some of

245
00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:52.159
the Caribbean that will have it in these you know

246
00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:55.240
like twelve ounce bottels or something. A lot of time,

247
00:15:55.559 --> 00:16:01.039
very like water down and very very sugary. So so yeah,

248
00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:04.240
this is something that you know throughout the Caribbean.

249
00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:05.000
It's very.

250
00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:10.639
It has been around four generations and it came from

251
00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:17.960
It's really an African ancestral drink. It so it came

252
00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:24.279
from West Africa, but the Senegalese people and the Nigerians

253
00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:29.320
who were brought over to the Caribbean, and so they

254
00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.840
will call it like zobo and b sap in those places.

255
00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.679
And then when it came to places.

256
00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:41.960
Like Trinida, Jamaica, Barbatos and those places even like Guyana,

257
00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:46.840
then because they have a lot of spices in the

258
00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:49.399
islands and they spice it up even more so they'll

259
00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:55.200
use like cinnamon and all spice and a lot of

260
00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:59.879
the spices that are common in that region. And so

261
00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:03.840
you know, it has its roots in the Crewman for

262
00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:08.640
as long as Black African people have been there, but

263
00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:12.240
it has its roots even further back to where they

264
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:13.480
were from, you know, and.

265
00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.599
In Senegal and Nigeria.

266
00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:22.799
Well I'll tell you that. Yeah, because I'm a I'm

267
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:29.440
a cook from scratch. I well my vices. Oh when

268
00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:34.440
I started, I could taste and even feel the various

269
00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:38.039
spices that are in there. I'm like Wow, somebody really

270
00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:43.240
knows what they're doing here. It was just so exceptional, Auntanya.

271
00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:48.839
So when you're when you're when you first decided to

272
00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.359
now take it to the point where now you were

273
00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:56.480
are selling it, you know more than just in the

274
00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:58.920
neighborhood or the friends of their parties.

275
00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:01.440
How did you come up out making that decision?

276
00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:11.440
I hear about making that decision kind of quite naturally,

277
00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.400
like I think it's it's been in me to be

278
00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:23.799
an entrepreneur for a long time. And so I was, yeah,

279
00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:26.240
I mean right away, even when I was brewing the

280
00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:29.400
first batch, then the name came to me, like then

281
00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.279
they just came to me right away, So I, you know,

282
00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:39.519
had a name and and then I so it just

283
00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:45.000
that that idea just came very naturally right away, that

284
00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:50.160
this is something that ought to be done. And and

285
00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:54.119
when I think back even further, when I was in

286
00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:59.519
my early twenties and I was, you know, starting out

287
00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:03.200
on the fashion scene, I would go to a lot

288
00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.119
of events, a lot of New York Fashion Week events

289
00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:08.680
and different events, and there was always you know, a

290
00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:13.279
table or something, you know, with alcohol, and I noticed

291
00:19:13.319 --> 00:19:17.920
the attachment that a lot of people had. My peers

292
00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:21.079
especially to need to have a glass in their hand,

293
00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:27.359
leading to kind of I don't know, sometimes they're film

294
00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:32.799
them for us being in these environments, and I've felt like, okay, well,

295
00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:34.960
I'm sure there are people like myself who are not

296
00:19:35.319 --> 00:19:41.160
drinking alcohol and they appreciate having something that also looks

297
00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:44.640
classy that they would be able to.

298
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:49.200
They will find it to be interesting as well.

299
00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:53.440
And I thought about the fact that in the Caribbean

300
00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:57.880
culture we have like several really interesting drinks that are

301
00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:03.720
not alcoholic. People like esteem, and wouldn't it'd be great

302
00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:09.720
if there was like a collection of Caribbean non alcoholic dreams. Yeah,

303
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:14.079
So it just came. It's just at that right time

304
00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:19.759
when I was just kind of needing.

305
00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:23.839
Another venture, you know, and adventure you know.

306
00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:25.759
Yeah. I love the way you.

307
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:32.519
Stated the fact that, you know, I've always had that

308
00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:39.279
entrepreneur in me, and that's what makes a great entrepreneur,

309
00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:42.720
not someone who just out of the clear blue without

310
00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:46.599
even thinking or having that true passion, Because being an

311
00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:51.279
entrepreneur is not easy, you know, it's work, I mean.

312
00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:53.640
Real work, you know.

313
00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:57.920
For those that are out there dreaming and thinking about

314
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:02.680
being entrepreneurs. Here's so one who has accomplished this. You

315
00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:04.720
have to have that dream and you have to have

316
00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:08.839
that thought, and you you have to be emotionally engaged

317
00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:14.160
to go in and actually be an entrepreneur that will

318
00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:17.960
be successful because you're going to have to love what

319
00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:22.279
you do to continue during the good times and the

320
00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.480
hard times, and you know whatever else that goes along

321
00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:30.640
with it. So yeah, that's that's one of the things

322
00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:33.440
that I was excited about. It's like, she is out

323
00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:39.720
there doing this and I know what it's all about.

324
00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:46.119
I'm my background is finance and tech, software tech, and

325
00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:50.079
I've talked to a lot of businesses. I've talked to

326
00:21:50.119 --> 00:21:54.200
a lot of people wanting to go into entrepreneurship and

327
00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:56.640
start business and I said, oh, but are you built

328
00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:56.960
for it?

329
00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:59.559
I mean, I have to be honest, are you built

330
00:21:59.559 --> 00:21:59.880
for it?

331
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:04.519
Because you have to be dedicated and committed and oh,

332
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:07.240
hats off to you, thank you.

333
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:08.680
Yeah, committed.

334
00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.119
Yeah, and yourself too.

335
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.119
You know, as you mentioned the you started a restaurant

336
00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:17.880
and you have you know what it's like to be

337
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:18.920
an entrepreneur too.

338
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.200
I think there's a lot of personal development that goes

339
00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:28.079
along with entrepreneurship because there will be ups and down

340
00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:32.079
and there's the aspect of okay, you create a product now,

341
00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:35.200
how or service? Now?

342
00:22:35.559 --> 00:22:38.000
Are you willing to put it out there? You're ready

343
00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:40.839
to hear people say yes and no or and not

344
00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:48.880
now and and not feel like it's a personal attack.

345
00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:54.599
You know, feel like it's okay and it's great when

346
00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:59.279
they say yes. When they say no, then that's okay too.

347
00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:02.880
And you appreciate the people who say yes and the

348
00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.839
people who say not. Now you're willing to circle back around,

349
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:10.799
you know, and you're willing to be patient because there's

350
00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:12.920
all kinds, especially in the beverage business.

351
00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:15.440
My business, there's different levels of business.

352
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:21.359
There's the individual customer, you know, there's people who and

353
00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:27.200
then there's companies and corporations. You know, there's different kinds

354
00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:34.119
of people who you are selling it's selling to. And

355
00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.920
some people they buy buy right away, but if you're

356
00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:39.000
working with the corporation, then may buy right now, or

357
00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:41.160
they may find about your product and by.

358
00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:44.759
A year later, two years later. YEA to be willing

359
00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:46.400
to like engage and.

360
00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:51.680
Play the short game and the long game, right, so

361
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:53.839
many instances, Yeah.

362
00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:59.359
Yeah, absolutely, and and like you said, sometimes a no,

363
00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:04.519
just me not now, it's not a hard, no, never again.

364
00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:08.680
So you do circle back and you try again, and

365
00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:14.400
you maybe even ask is there something about this that

366
00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:18.920
me can you say no? Or something more information I

367
00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:22.480
can give you or something like that, you know, and

368
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:26.079
not taking it personally. That is something a lot of

369
00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:31.160
people do when they're starting out in business. They take

370
00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:37.400
maybe some of the criticism very personally, like it's against

371
00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:42.599
you personally, and then it just kind of just begins

372
00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:47.720
to affect their energy, affect their mindset, and pretty soon

373
00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:52.400
their commitment, their excitement, their enthusiasm is starting to drift

374
00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:58.480
away because they've absorbed some comments that are not to

375
00:24:58.519 --> 00:25:03.759
be taken personally. It's just how business is. And you

376
00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:07.039
never know. These are individuals. You don't know what happened

377
00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:09.200
to their day. They may have just gotten fired, they

378
00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:13.799
don't want to talk to anybody about anything, so it's

379
00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:20.279
not necessarily a no, And so just being being ready

380
00:25:20.599 --> 00:25:25.680
to go back again and again and again is really

381
00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:32.200
really important to do for sure. And what have been

382
00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:39.240
kind of the responses about building a culturally rooted product,

383
00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:43.960
I mean, how do you protect your authenticity?

384
00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:45.440
You know, we're getting ready to.

385
00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:49.240
Scale it, and how do you explain this to people

386
00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:50.720
or do they even ask.

387
00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:54.839
Ask about.

388
00:25:56.119 --> 00:26:03.000
The cultural aspect of it, so I wouldn't make sure

389
00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:06.160
I get your question. Can you rephrase it for me?

390
00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:09.519
Well, I was just wondering, you know, your product is

391
00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:15.000
one that is culturally rooted all the way in Africa

392
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.200
and then of us moved through the islands and things

393
00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:21.559
like that. Does anyone ever question anything about that? Or

394
00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:26.279
do you have positive feedback on that about the product

395
00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:28.240
or or what happens.

396
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.799
Yeah, so we get.

397
00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:36.240
We typically get like a lot of positive feedback about it.

398
00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:39.640
You know, it depends on the person because for some

399
00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:44.160
people it's striking a memory for them, you know, like

400
00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:50.720
they may be Caribbean of a Caribbean background themselves, or

401
00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:57.720
they may have a spouse who's Caribbean, or they visited

402
00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:01.720
the islands, or they even visit that did some restaurant

403
00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:05.160
in Brooklyn or Miami and they had sorrow and it

404
00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:09.960
was since then it's been hard to find right or

405
00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:12.480
they only get.

406
00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:13.240
It at a certain time.

407
00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:16.160
They know how labor intensive it is to make, and

408
00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:21.519
now it's something that they can acquire relatively easily just

409
00:27:21.559 --> 00:27:24.759
by ordering from us or picking up in the stores

410
00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:29.680
that we sell at. And so there's this strong appreciation

411
00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:34.759
for the accessibility of the product, and then the packaging

412
00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:41.200
and the honoring of the history of this drink and

413
00:27:41.240 --> 00:27:45.279
the people involved in preserving the history and the culture

414
00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:49.720
through the way that we presented and package it and

415
00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:53.319
you know, keep it with natural ingredients.

416
00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:57.960
So there's that appreciation earlier, earlier, wrong.

417
00:27:58.039 --> 00:28:05.279
When I first started advertising for Kobut Sorrow then, whether

418
00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:08.400
it was at pop up shops or like Facebook ads

419
00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:11.480
and Google ads, and I would see, particularly on the

420
00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:14.359
Facebook Instagram as you see, like the comments, and there

421
00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:17.759
would be a mixture of excitement and then some people

422
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:21.599
who it was it was interesting. There were some people

423
00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:25.559
who were even of Caribbean background who it almost seemed

424
00:28:25.559 --> 00:28:29.799
like if they didn't think that this drink should be

425
00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:35.200
like packaged and you know, and and sold to a

426
00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:42.319
wider audience, like as if it was like, oh, I

427
00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:45.000
my grandmother makes that, or I make that home, Like

428
00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:48.119
what in a bottle? Sorrow in a bottle? It was

429
00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:53.519
just so interesting to me as if it and then

430
00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:56.160
I and so there were people that I would meet

431
00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:00.480
in person and online who would have those kinds of opinions.

432
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.720
And then there would be some people who because it

433
00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:08.680
doesn't have any alcohol in it would question like why

434
00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:14.279
it was valuable, Like if you're like, oh, why should

435
00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:18.480
you buy this premium drink? Or why is it a

436
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:20.960
premium drink If there's no alcohol, they're not going to

437
00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:23.680
get a bus from it.

438
00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:26.720
Is more premium without the alcohol, because I mean, I

439
00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:30.640
get you know the ingredients I and taste them. Is like,

440
00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:34.559
this is a varying not only the bevery is not

441
00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:39.839
only tasty, but it's extremely healthy also, And so why

442
00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:43.319
would you not want that to be a premium drink

443
00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:48.440
something that you enjoy, you can eat with any exotic dinner,

444
00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:54.519
and you haven't harmed your body with the alcohol that

445
00:29:54.759 --> 00:29:58.319
you're wanting to consume. And I'm not against the alcohol.

446
00:29:58.519 --> 00:30:02.279
I'm just saying this is a extremely healthy drink. It's

447
00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:06.160
more than it. It's almost ceremonial. When I'm drinking.

448
00:30:05.799 --> 00:30:12.640
It, it's just so luscious. It just feels like that.

449
00:30:12.759 --> 00:30:15.759
And so I always have you know, I'm not sitting

450
00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:19.640
eating chips with it. I am having a major dinner

451
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:27.759
when I had my you call it sorrow, sorrow, sorrow, Okay, sorrow, Okay,

452
00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:29.839
So I said it wrong because I didn't know any better.

453
00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:36.480
It's okay, it might to see whatever accent we have

454
00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:41.720
or whatever most people think to say sol because that

455
00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:42.200
would be.

456
00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:43.880
The way English.

457
00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:49.559
Yeah, yeah, but not not for it culturally. I thank

458
00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:52.279
you for helping me to understand how to pronounce it.

459
00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:57.640
I'll be using that from here on out, so they

460
00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:01.839
have that. But I just I'm just like I said,

461
00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:05.920
I'm just so admire you know, the product itself, and

462
00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:11.240
then reading the story and and and you being a

463
00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:14.319
young woman, you know, taking on a challenge like this.

464
00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:19.240
I was extremely impressed. And so it can be done.

465
00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:23.319
You know, if you have the you know.

466
00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:28.839
The desire, you really are committed to it, and you

467
00:31:29.640 --> 00:31:32.400
need to like build up your muscles so that when

468
00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:36.599
somebody says, ah no, you don't fall apart and want

469
00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:40.960
to throw up your hands. You just say, well, it's

470
00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.519
too bad for them, they're really missing something wonderful and

471
00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:44.839
just keep on stepping.

472
00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.799
Yeah, I am.

473
00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:52.200
And I will say something into the cultural preservation aspect

474
00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:57.599
is that for a lot of people like myself are

475
00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:02.920
parents of ide who are first generation Caribbean American. Our

476
00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:07.400
parents arrived from the Caribbean in maybe like the seventies,

477
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:15.920
you know, and so they came, they established businesses and restaurants,

478
00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:21.319
and you can go to some places and you can

479
00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:25.359
get authentic Caribbean food. But even in a place like

480
00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:29.920
East flappersh Brooklyn, known as Little Caribbean, they are starting

481
00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:32.480
to change recipes.

482
00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:35.519
To the make them a bit more.

483
00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:42.880
Americanized, you know, and I don't know that what certain dishes,

484
00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:47.519
certain draines will look like ten twenty years from now,

485
00:32:47.559 --> 00:32:53.880
the next generation. You would need for those chefs and

486
00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:55.200
cooks and.

487
00:32:55.240 --> 00:33:00.359
People who know what the real thing is to.

488
00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:04.920
Preserve it, to codify, to package it, to systematize it

489
00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:08.640
in order to say this is actually what sorrows, this

490
00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:12.519
is what h this is how you actually make like

491
00:33:12.599 --> 00:33:15.359
a dalperi voti or a bust up shut or these

492
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:18.079
kinds of things, doubles, all these kinds of things that

493
00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:23.920
they make in the Caribbean, because otherwise it will some

494
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:27.720
some foods will look unrecognizable or even just not.

495
00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:29.559
Existing.

496
00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:37.720
Yeah, even in African American culture, like there are things

497
00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:41.519
that people made sixty seven years ago that people very

498
00:33:41.640 --> 00:33:42.400
rarely make now.

499
00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:44.880
People do lose recipes.

500
00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:49.039
You know, when you're out there being out there buying

501
00:33:49.079 --> 00:33:54.640
a Hamburger helper, and you know a lot of packaged

502
00:33:54.759 --> 00:34:00.799
foods instead of continuing that you know, made from scratch attitude.

503
00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:05.160
A lot of people don't understand even what ingredients even

504
00:34:05.240 --> 00:34:10.119
need to be made or what's involved. Everyone's been working,

505
00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:16.000
and mothers haven't been teaching daughters and sons how to

506
00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:20.519
continue those wonderful recipes that were not only tasty, but

507
00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:24.559
very healthy, and so that we're we're losing a lot

508
00:34:24.599 --> 00:34:30.960
of traditional cooking that was here four hundred, three hundred,

509
00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:36.880
two hundred years ago, and we've a lot of the

510
00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:40.840
health issues that we have is because of maybe not

511
00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:45.360
sticking to some of those roots there and eating more

512
00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:50.559
of these processed things that have fifteen ingredients.

513
00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:52.159
I want to give you a secret.

514
00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:56.159
If it's got more than three and you can't pronounce

515
00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:59.960
or spell those other names in it, you don't want

516
00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:03.920
to eat or drink it, to be honest, you just

517
00:35:04.079 --> 00:35:07.239
don't want to eat or drink it. And I, you

518
00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:11.440
know I I that's why I wanted to let people

519
00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:16.840
be aware of how things are supposed to really be prepared.

520
00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:20.199
And like I said, I prepared everything from scratch. There

521
00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:22.480
was you know, nothing coming out of bags.

522
00:35:23.079 --> 00:35:23.880
And I had.

523
00:35:24.840 --> 00:35:27.440
Guys that you know, wanted to learn how to become

524
00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:32.880
cooks and and even when the restaurant closed, they went

525
00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:38.320
on to Europe to take classes and become certified chefs.

526
00:35:38.360 --> 00:35:40.119
And I'm so proud of these guys.

527
00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:45.480
They were indigenous guys and I was cooking indigenous foods

528
00:35:45.559 --> 00:35:50.199
and you know, I used the whole wheat and not

529
00:35:50.800 --> 00:35:54.719
you know, you know, the leach flowers, and you know,

530
00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:56.360
bringing back old.

531
00:35:56.199 --> 00:36:00.760
Recipes as to how it was prepared to hundred years ago.

532
00:36:01.079 --> 00:36:05.639
You didn't have stick with that. It's the moments, right,

533
00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:09.280
and so yeah, it's just wonderful.

534
00:36:10.840 --> 00:36:15.880
Seeing that, and you're being so committed to maintaining you know,

535
00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:22.239
that particular thing. Your company I identifies as black owned

536
00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:25.079
and Caribbean owned. So that's coming from your is that

537
00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:28.000
coming from your your parents?

538
00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:32.599
You and that parents are both Caribbean and black.

539
00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:40.000
Yeah, that's that's great that you're giving that recognition, you know,

540
00:36:40.159 --> 00:36:45.639
to your product, so people understand exactly what the history

541
00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:49.679
of it is and appreciate the product that you have.

542
00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:56.519
That people know that it's still in the hands of

543
00:36:57.039 --> 00:37:02.159
the you know, people someone of the culture. Yeah, because

544
00:37:03.159 --> 00:37:07.159
you know there's certain dishes and foods where it may

545
00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:11.440
not be you know, it may not be from someone

546
00:37:11.440 --> 00:37:14.440
who is of the culture. And sometimes even because it

547
00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:18.239
has you know this more I guess it, it has

548
00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:20.079
like a you know, I brought.

549
00:37:19.880 --> 00:37:25.079
A bottle here, Yeah, a bottle, Yeah, you know, it

550
00:37:25.159 --> 00:37:26.559
has this aesthetic.

551
00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:32.199
It's not giving you just like carnival vibes on the bottle.

552
00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:37.239
Then I need people to understand, no, this is all around.

553
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:40.400
I need people to understand like the roots of this

554
00:37:40.679 --> 00:37:45.639
and the founder's story. But then also maybe even more

555
00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:50.159
because of the packaging, sometimes a person may think like, oh,

556
00:37:50.239 --> 00:37:53.639
that doesn't look like whatever their expectation is.

557
00:37:54.440 --> 00:37:58.679
Yeah, yeah, I just love I love the fact that

558
00:37:58.760 --> 00:38:04.320
you are maintaining that cultural tradition. I mean when I

559
00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:08.400
go out to different restaurants, Like I said, my job

560
00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:11.000
has had me traveling all over the country and then

561
00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:14.199
I've been outside the country, and the wonderful thing that

562
00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:19.440
I've always loved doing is going to a restaurant culturally

563
00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:24.320
specific so I can get an opportunity to taste another

564
00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:28.440
culture because that you know, in the foods, because you know,

565
00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:33.239
I'm sure it's that way with you. That food is

566
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:37.480
a place where everyone gathers. It's where all family gathers,

567
00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:41.559
and friends is a time of relationship, is the time

568
00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:46.000
of sharing. It's a time of laughter and jokes and

569
00:38:46.360 --> 00:38:50.400
just having a great, great time with the people around.

570
00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:54.679
So when I'm eating in different cultures, I'm feeling and

571
00:38:54.840 --> 00:38:59.719
understanding that the happiness and the joy and the efforts

572
00:38:59.719 --> 00:39:03.559
and every everything of that particular culture when I'm tasting it.

573
00:39:03.679 --> 00:39:07.960
And so I love to see the different cultures, you know,

574
00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:15.440
expanding and holding holding firm on continuing the traditions because

575
00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:18.480
it's just just talking about it, that's just sharing in

576
00:39:18.599 --> 00:39:19.159
every meal.

577
00:39:20.079 --> 00:39:24.639
It's so wonderful. That's it. That's where it's been at

578
00:39:24.639 --> 00:39:26.320
my table a while I'm drinking.

579
00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:34.920
Yeah, definitely, And we're connecting to like histories and cultures

580
00:39:35.119 --> 00:39:36.320
and all of.

581
00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:38.880
That, you know, and I think.

582
00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:43.639
It's it's like even when I think about like just

583
00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:49.440
cultural preservation, you know. Then and they go, Okay, well,

584
00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:54.800
this is a drink that's now been started in Brooklyn,

585
00:39:55.199 --> 00:40:00.199
you know, from me started in Brooklyn, and it's shared.

586
00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:02.880
All over the world. Actually we've had customers all over

587
00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:03.239
the world.

588
00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:08.079
Mostly we ship throughout the United States.

589
00:40:08.239 --> 00:40:10.239
But this is a drink that.

590
00:40:11.599 --> 00:40:14.320
Would not have you know, this is a drink that

591
00:40:14.840 --> 00:40:20.079
before here it being born and born in Brooklyn and

592
00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:25.480
shared all over. It's because of my family having moved

593
00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:28.800
from the Caribbean. You know, before that then it was

594
00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:32.960
oh they were enjoying it throughout the Caribbean. But before

595
00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:37.280
that then it's my ancestors who came from Nigeria and

596
00:40:37.320 --> 00:40:40.760
who came from the Congo, you know, who had the

597
00:40:41.239 --> 00:40:44.440
you know, who were probably making the drink and brought

598
00:40:44.480 --> 00:40:50.840
this idea. And my parents didn't know that this was

599
00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:54.920
an African drink. They didn't know that it was an

600
00:40:54.920 --> 00:40:57.480
African drink. My dad, I mean he first started making it,

601
00:40:57.559 --> 00:41:01.119
he never said anything about this being something that was

602
00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:03.840
like from that jay. He just knew it being a

603
00:41:03.880 --> 00:41:08.880
Caribbean drink, you know. And so it's just so important

604
00:41:09.039 --> 00:41:13.519
to you know, make those connections because we are connected

605
00:41:13.639 --> 00:41:16.519
in you know, in so many ways.

606
00:41:17.079 --> 00:41:18.760
It's it's it's amazing.

607
00:41:19.400 --> 00:41:23.800
Yeah, I as I was, you know, reading up on

608
00:41:23.400 --> 00:41:29.119
the company itself. Your brand has been highlighted in several

609
00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:34.360
outlets and communities including Essence and Vogue and boneu Petite

610
00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:39.519
and Epicurious and you know, have any of those you.

611
00:41:39.480 --> 00:41:41.440
Know, large you know.

612
00:41:43.320 --> 00:41:48.199
Audiences there, have they had any influence on your business

613
00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:55.599
or shaping the business or hopefully not but changing the business.

614
00:41:54.960 --> 00:41:56.440
Certainly not changing it.

615
00:41:56.639 --> 00:42:01.280
But it's always wonderful in such a honor when we

616
00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:07.880
get various kinds of press and people interested in sharing

617
00:42:07.880 --> 00:42:13.880
our story or including it in their story. And you know,

618
00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:17.719
of course it spreads the word and it helps the business.

619
00:42:17.840 --> 00:42:23.079
It helps other people find something that they were looking

620
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:25.559
for they didn't know they needed, you know, and one

621
00:42:25.679 --> 00:42:28.400
it would have wanted like it gets. It helps them

622
00:42:28.440 --> 00:42:33.559
be exposed. It helps them have more exposure, you know,

623
00:42:33.960 --> 00:42:37.239
through to what's to what's available, to what's out there.

624
00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:41.960
So even like the Vogue magazine feature that one was

625
00:42:42.960 --> 00:42:48.079
in an article that the that the writer was doing

626
00:42:48.199 --> 00:42:52.280
about the non alcoholic beverage scene, and she was exploring

627
00:42:52.760 --> 00:42:56.800
various beverages and she you know, had got in Brooklyn

628
00:42:56.880 --> 00:43:01.119
boot sorrow and she made uh, she made mixer out

629
00:43:01.119 --> 00:43:05.800
of it, you know, so she included that mixer mentioned

630
00:43:05.880 --> 00:43:09.039
in the article, you know. And then and then Essence.

631
00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:12.440
We probably get featured in Essence about maybe every year,

632
00:43:12.559 --> 00:43:16.880
every couple of years, and you know that they'll be

633
00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:21.159
ranking different non alcoholic drinks and they'll tell you about

634
00:43:22.440 --> 00:43:25.079
the history, you know, and Epicurius to like put it

635
00:43:25.119 --> 00:43:29.320
in their their giftless suggestion and those kinds of things.

636
00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:32.039
Whenever that happens, that happens.

637
00:43:32.199 --> 00:43:35.079
Oftentimes when that happens, because some really do hit and

638
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:40.880
like help us gain a lot of exposure, and it's

639
00:43:40.960 --> 00:43:45.119
hitting the an audience that's really interested then, you know,

640
00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:47.960
like especially a magazine like Epicurius and Vunera Petite, like

641
00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:51.800
people are looking for new food and all that kind

642
00:43:51.800 --> 00:43:56.880
of stuff. Yeah, then it'll automatically. I'll look up, I'll

643
00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:59.079
see the website is just like, you know, jump in

644
00:43:59.159 --> 00:44:01.559
and we have all these new people ordering it. And

645
00:44:01.960 --> 00:44:06.320
I remember the first time that happened, and I was like, well,

646
00:44:06.360 --> 00:44:10.639
what's happening today, you know, and it's like, oh, I

647
00:44:10.679 --> 00:44:13.599
look on the back end and I see, oh epicurious.

648
00:44:13.639 --> 00:44:16.599
They got here via something some epicurious article.

649
00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:17.199
You know.

650
00:44:17.400 --> 00:44:19.880
I don't always know that these articles are are.

651
00:44:21.639 --> 00:44:25.760
Coming up or that some editor has been working on

652
00:44:25.800 --> 00:44:27.159
an article about it.

653
00:44:27.199 --> 00:44:30.320
And so I found it was through an article. I'm like,

654
00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:36.360
oh boy, that sounds so good. Well let's just try it.

655
00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:38.320
And then after that it's over.

656
00:44:39.639 --> 00:44:42.440
I remember which magazine or newspaper.

657
00:44:42.239 --> 00:44:43.760
Can't I can't remember.

658
00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:47.840
I always well, I do a lot of bona petite

659
00:44:47.840 --> 00:44:51.480
because I like to see different recipes and different things

660
00:44:51.519 --> 00:44:51.920
like that.

661
00:44:52.360 --> 00:44:58.039
So probably that one, but it was.

662
00:44:57.920 --> 00:45:00.079
Through an article and I thought, oh my gosh, I

663
00:45:00.159 --> 00:45:03.360
got to try this. It sounds great, and then it's

664
00:45:03.440 --> 00:45:08.960
been nothing but history since then. I'd like to let

665
00:45:09.039 --> 00:45:13.239
the audience know that, you know, on your website you

666
00:45:13.480 --> 00:45:18.880
even show how to add different things, putting a little

667
00:45:19.239 --> 00:45:22.400
lime in there, putting a little different things in to

668
00:45:22.519 --> 00:45:25.320
kind of give it a different little flavor, a different

669
00:45:25.360 --> 00:45:28.440
little hint or something like that. And so you know,

670
00:45:28.480 --> 00:45:32.119
the holidays, how about trying, you know, put it, you know,

671
00:45:32.239 --> 00:45:34.599
put it in here, adding a little fruit or.

672
00:45:34.599 --> 00:45:35.239
Something like that.

673
00:45:35.360 --> 00:45:39.800
So you're always kind of showing different ways of them

674
00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:44.400
expanding the drink in several different ways. And if they

675
00:45:44.440 --> 00:45:48.880
want to add alcohol, they can. It would it would

676
00:45:48.920 --> 00:45:52.599
be a great foundation for it. But it's great all

677
00:45:52.639 --> 00:45:54.920
by itself. It really doesn't need it. You can't tell

678
00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:58.320
the difference. It's not that smooth and that great.

679
00:45:58.519 --> 00:45:59.400
It's just wonderful.

680
00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:02.719
M Yeah, we do that just.

681
00:46:02.679 --> 00:46:07.079
To help bring versatility to the drink because it does.

682
00:46:07.119 --> 00:46:12.119
Operating is a great ace, and it's something where that

683
00:46:12.519 --> 00:46:18.840
developed out of I think different customers actually giving us

684
00:46:19.440 --> 00:46:24.400
these ideas for things that they were doing. And then restaurants,

685
00:46:24.400 --> 00:46:27.760
like one time we well, we had a pop up

686
00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:32.599
shop at Nordstrom, the flagship location in New York for.

687
00:46:32.480 --> 00:46:34.719
About a month a few summers ago.

688
00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:39.440
And the bar they have a restaurant called Wolf, and

689
00:46:39.599 --> 00:46:44.960
the bar was using the drink to make all kinds

690
00:46:44.960 --> 00:46:47.480
of mixers. And one day I went up there and

691
00:46:47.559 --> 00:46:51.239
he just a bartender, showed me all these mixers that

692
00:46:51.320 --> 00:46:54.599
he was making, and they were so good, Like I

693
00:46:54.679 --> 00:46:58.519
hadn't thought about using rosemary in it.

694
00:46:59.039 --> 00:47:02.679
He was using rosemary sprigs.

695
00:47:02.039 --> 00:47:05.480
And like crushing them and then and making a rosemary

696
00:47:05.519 --> 00:47:09.199
syrup and then adding he.

697
00:47:09.239 --> 00:47:10.360
Might use like two.

698
00:47:12.599 --> 00:47:15.400
What are those called two ounces of Booklyn misorrow, and

699
00:47:15.440 --> 00:47:20.320
then like four ounces of the sparkling water club soda,

700
00:47:20.559 --> 00:47:23.920
and then like a spring and then maybe an ounce

701
00:47:24.079 --> 00:47:30.000
of the rosemary simple syrup and some ice and mixed

702
00:47:30.039 --> 00:47:31.760
that up, and he was making a drink and then

703
00:47:31.760 --> 00:47:36.280
he might throw like a rosemary spray the whole you know,

704
00:47:37.559 --> 00:47:41.360
rosemary spring in there. And I tell you, I was like,

705
00:47:41.400 --> 00:47:43.800
oh my goodness, this is amazing, you know. And then

706
00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:45.719
he was doing it with lime, and he was doing

707
00:47:45.800 --> 00:47:50.280
it with you know, extra ginger and all these things

708
00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:53.760
I was learning from a professional bartender at just like

709
00:47:53.800 --> 00:47:58.039
Evenings North Straw And so then I started incorporating that

710
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:01.800
when I would do pop up shops and like I

711
00:48:01.800 --> 00:48:07.000
would do these festivals, like and I would have you know,

712
00:48:07.719 --> 00:48:09.760
lots of people would come and we would have one

713
00:48:09.840 --> 00:48:13.559
station where it was just by the bottle, and then

714
00:48:13.599 --> 00:48:15.840
we had on the other side of the booth, we

715
00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:18.079
had another station and that's where we were doing our

716
00:48:18.119 --> 00:48:22.119
mocktail bar. And it just added more excitement to have

717
00:48:22.239 --> 00:48:27.679
like this live experience and actually give people options. So

718
00:48:27.719 --> 00:48:31.360
that was also like a great and it gave people options,

719
00:48:31.360 --> 00:48:34.760
and it was also a great business decision to have

720
00:48:34.840 --> 00:48:40.320
this like versatility, whether it's in an event format or

721
00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:45.679
to help like our customers see various ways that they

722
00:48:45.719 --> 00:48:48.480
can enjoy the dream because a lot of our customers

723
00:48:48.480 --> 00:48:51.599
are like yourself and they're hosting people.

724
00:48:52.039 --> 00:48:57.559
Yeah, it's great, Okay, what I'm like you to do

725
00:48:58.079 --> 00:49:03.559
is tell everyone their website, their email or whatever however

726
00:49:03.599 --> 00:49:07.000
they can get in contact with you so they can

727
00:49:07.440 --> 00:49:08.679
place their order.

728
00:49:11.599 --> 00:49:14.480
So that's great.

729
00:49:14.639 --> 00:49:20.400
So the website for Brooklyn bruth Sorrow is Brooklyn Boothsorrow

730
00:49:20.440 --> 00:49:20.920
dot com.

731
00:49:20.920 --> 00:49:23.559
So that's b r o.

732
00:49:23.159 --> 00:49:27.880
O k l y N b r e w E

733
00:49:28.000 --> 00:49:34.760
D s O r r e l dot com and

734
00:49:35.519 --> 00:49:39.280
it can email us at assist so A s s

735
00:49:39.320 --> 00:49:45.239
I s T at Brooklyn Bruthsorrow dot com. And we

736
00:49:45.320 --> 00:49:50.400
would love for you know, everybody to just even try

737
00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:52.199
Brooklyn Booth Sorrow for the first.

738
00:49:51.880 --> 00:49:53.360
Time or the emptieth time.

739
00:49:54.079 --> 00:49:58.800
And we offer free eight ol samples on the website

740
00:49:58.840 --> 00:50:02.079
so you can try it before you commit to a

741
00:50:02.239 --> 00:50:08.000
case or even just you know, the larger bottles because

742
00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:11.440
we sell it in eight ounce size of eight ounce

743
00:50:11.840 --> 00:50:15.119
cases where you could get a four bottle case, eight

744
00:50:15.159 --> 00:50:17.320
bottle case of twelve bottle case, and we also sell

745
00:50:17.360 --> 00:50:21.199
it in the larger kind of like a wine bottles

746
00:50:21.280 --> 00:50:26.519
twenty five ounce size in various you know packets like

747
00:50:27.400 --> 00:50:30.239
two bottles or up to twelve bottles at a time.

748
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:32.480
And so yeah, you're.

749
00:50:32.400 --> 00:50:35.960
Free to get on the website get your free eight

750
00:50:36.000 --> 00:50:41.400
ounce sample, or you know, just help on there and get.

751
00:50:41.280 --> 00:50:44.360
As many a dB yes yes, or get on the

752
00:50:44.440 --> 00:50:46.440
subscription and it just shows.

753
00:50:47.960 --> 00:50:49.079
Yes exactly.

754
00:50:49.639 --> 00:50:52.760
Yeah, this has been really exceptional.

755
00:50:52.840 --> 00:50:56.199
I've just enjoyed talking with you, finding out the history

756
00:50:56.280 --> 00:51:01.880
and singing you definitely have everything it takes to.

757
00:51:01.880 --> 00:51:05.280
Be the successful entrepreneur that you are.

758
00:51:05.559 --> 00:51:10.320
And for those that are thinking about entrepreneurship, this is

759
00:51:10.800 --> 00:51:16.800
what it looks like, commitment and strength and loving what

760
00:51:17.239 --> 00:51:20.599
you really do. And so I just want to really

761
00:51:20.679 --> 00:51:24.039
thank you for being here on a Sharp outbook and

762
00:51:24.239 --> 00:51:29.880
sharing the story about this wonderful, wonderful beverage that all

763
00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:33.880
of the listeners and the viewers can go and.

764
00:51:35.719 --> 00:51:36.519
Make a purchase.

765
00:51:36.599 --> 00:51:39.559
And I guarantee you you are going to love it,

766
00:51:40.079 --> 00:51:40.920
love it, love it.

767
00:51:43.360 --> 00:51:46.320
Thank you so much, Anteline like for so many things,

768
00:51:46.320 --> 00:51:50.280
for inviting me onto the show and you know, in

769
00:51:50.320 --> 00:51:53.840
this new way for us, allowing us to in this

770
00:51:53.920 --> 00:51:56.039
new way through you, because I know you've been telling

771
00:51:56.119 --> 00:51:58.280
people about it, you've been sharing.

772
00:51:57.920 --> 00:52:02.199
It, and then now you know, on your place with

773
00:52:02.559 --> 00:52:05.480
you know the audience that comes.

774
00:52:05.239 --> 00:52:09.920
Across this this blog or this radio show.

775
00:52:09.760 --> 00:52:16.159
And it'll be yes, yes, okay.

776
00:52:16.639 --> 00:52:19.280
Well, thank you everyone for tuning in to a Sharp

777
00:52:19.360 --> 00:52:25.199
Outlook and we're happy that you joined us. And I

778
00:52:25.239 --> 00:52:27.840
would like to say we're here every Monday at eleven

779
00:52:27.880 --> 00:52:32.320
am Eastern time eight am Pacific time. We're here to

780
00:52:32.480 --> 00:52:36.039
inform you and to let you know how to be

781
00:52:36.119 --> 00:52:40.000
successful in business and in life, and for whatever you

782
00:52:40.119 --> 00:52:48.119
do from here on, stay informed. I want to thank

783
00:52:48.159 --> 00:52:51.119
you for joining us on a sharp outlook. We have

784
00:52:51.199 --> 00:52:54.800
been informed and energized to take the next steps. We

785
00:52:54.920 --> 00:52:58.559
have posted links to websites and videos to learn more

786
00:52:58.760 --> 00:53:02.400
on today's topic. Please join us again next week or

787
00:53:02.440 --> 00:53:07.119
another thought provoking conversation right here on k for HD

788
00:53:07.320 --> 00:53:11.639
radio and Talk for TV. Listen to the podcast on

789
00:53:11.960 --> 00:53:17.000
all the podcast apps, and until next week, stay informed.