Indie Spirits Tasting Brisbane is back for its third year at Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall on Sunday, 27 May from 1pm to 4pm. The event will feature over 30 exhibitors showcasing more than 100 craft spirits, with master distillers on hand and free seminars going deep into the world of independent spirits. Tickets are just $55 (plus booking fee) and includes all samples and snacks. CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS.
Rum is big at Indie Spirits Tasting Brisbane this year and we have rums on show from Phuket to Venezuela for those who like the sugarcane or molasses spirits. We have handpicked nine rum brands to pique your interest but there will be more on show on the day so get down to Lefty’s on May 27 and check them out for yourself.
Plantation Rum is produced at an old Cognac distillery in France and marries both the best of Cognac production with rums from several Caribbean countries. Plantation rums cover a broad range of styles. They have The Vintages which focus on the characteristics of their home nation – from Jamaica to Barbados; the Signature Blends which use secret Cognac production knowledge; and the Bar Classics which were made with bartenders in mind and are great cocktail foundations. And you won’t want to miss the O.F.T.D — made in collaboration with six rum savants — including David Wondrich and tikiman Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry — it’s a classic old school overproof rum style you rarely find elsewhere. Head to the Neat Spirits table to give it a try.
Direct from a Melbourne bar of the same name, Rum Diary Spiced Rum is again on show at Indie. Back in 2015, Owner of The Rum Diary Bar in Fitzroy, Hamish Goonetilleke, decided to produce his own small batch spiced rum. Complexity comes from the finest Caribbean rum which is then blended with imported and local Australian native spices to create a delicious mixing or neat spiced rum. The team have also launched some new expressions and limited releases including a Cherry Rum. Check them out at the Artisan Handcrafted table.
Nusa Caña Tropical Island Rum is the brainchild of a bunch of very familiar bar industry names – Andy Gaunt, Joe Milner, Marc Rodrigues, Sam Jeveons and Dre Masso. Sharing a passion for the Indonesian party island of Bali, great drinks and great bars, the team decided to create an Indonesian rum. Crafted on Java, the original home of Indonesian rum, the heart of Nusa Caña is a rich Indonesian sugar cane spirit distilled in antique Chinese pot stills then matured in sustainable Javanese teak casks, before being blended for today’s tastes. A smooth, aroma-filled tropical island rum packed with fresh sugar cane and toasted fruit flavours — find it at the Artisan Handcrafted table.
Santa Teresa Rum is produced at the hacienda Santa Teresa is located in Venezuela’s Valley of Aragua; a state with the ideal temperature conditions for ageing rums, ranging from humid heat during the day to cold dry nights, facilitating the chemical, yet seemingly magical, exchange between wood and alcohol. Founded in 1796, this single estate rum is a blend between four and 35 years of age. The artisanal Solera method and the exceptionally crafted process results in an authentic, dry, smooth and balanced rum evolving in every sip. Head to the Santa Teresa table for a taste.
Beenleigh is Australia’s original rum. Created before any other rum in the country. And over 130 years later, they are still making rum the traditional, “boutique” way. Still operating from the original stone building upon the banks of the Albert River at Eagleby. Still exclusively sourcing Australia’s finest molasses from the country’s only remaining family-owned sugar mill. And still pot stilling using their original copper equipment. We then age every drop in handmade oak brandy barrels to create Beenleigh’s distinctive, luscious flavour and its velvety smooth finish. Check out Beenleigh at the Bickford’s Group table where they will also be showcasing productsa from Twenty Third St. Distillery from South Australia.
Chairman’s Reserve Rum is produced at St Lucia Distillers, a small rum distillery situated in the scenically beautiful and agriculturally rich valley of Roseau on the Caribbean island of St Lucia. The range features four rums including the original, the white, the spiced a limited-edition rum from Chairman’s Reserve called the St Lucia Forgotten Casks, blended from casks that had been forgotten about after the fire that seriously damaged the distillery in 2007. Having lost a lot of warehouse space, they put the casks wherever they could and finding a parcel of these lost casks they have created this older-than-usual expression. Check out the Chairman’s Reserve range at the Big Island Wholesalers table.
Illegal Tender Rum Co is located in in the town of Dongara, Western Australia. This distillery pays homage to Australia by using uniquely Australian spices to add a different elements of flavour found in traditional spiced varieties from the Rum Industry. Their Spiced spirit uses Kakadu Plum, Quandong, Wattle Seed, Lemon Myrtle and Wild Rosella these spices impart an Australian Bush tucker flair to the traditional Spiced recipe of old. The Spirit is distilled from a fermented ‘Wash’ of Dark Brown Sugar which is typically, much smoother than its molasses counterpart, then Mellowed with French oak for a minimum of 4 weeks then spiced. Visit the Illegal Rum Co table to sample this as well as their Barely Legal sugarcane spirit.
Chalong Bay Rum is a handcrafted rum using sustainable production that binds the traditional French art of distillation with the rich sugarcane heritage of Thailand. Manufactured in Phuket using a traditional copper still imported from France and a centuries-old distillation process, Chalong Bay’s innovative craftsmanship has produced an award-winning rum of incredible character, originality and smoothness, giving full expression to the 100% natural Thai sugarcane contained within. The range includes a pure spirit as well as several flavoured varieties such as lemongrass, thai sweet basil, cinnamon, kaffir lime, and lime. Check their range out at the Premium Taste table.
Rhum Clément is produced and estate bottled at Habitation Clément in Le Francois, Martinique. Rhum Clément is a leading producer of A.O.C. Martinique Rhum Agricole. The opposite of industrial rum distilled from molasses, rhum agricole is a true representation of what it means to be pure, natural rhum. Rhum Agricole begins with the finest selection of sugarcanes, which are then pressed to extract a free-run aromatic sugarcane juice, distilled into a crisp and earthy vegetal spirit from the world renowned terroir of Martinique. Sample some traditional rhum at the Big Island Wholesalers table.
So head to Indie Spirits Tasting Brisbane on Sunday, 27th May at Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall. CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS.