For Birds of Isle distillers Chanel Melani and Sally Carter, crafting spirits is as much about changing tastes as it is about changing perceptions. The rum industry has long been disproportionately male-dominated, so to break the mould – while making very impressive booze – is no mean feat for the pioneering duo.

The indigenous flora of the Northern Rivers region of NSW, and 65,000 years of Aboriginal history, is reflected in rums that bring together unconventional elements like bunya nut, paperbark smoke, and rare muscat casks. delicious. sat down with Carter and Melani to talk all things rum, and what make Birds of Isle rum so special.

How did Birds of Isle come about?

We’re both lifelong foodies and spirits enthusiasts. Sally grew up in country NSW, where rum is the region’s spirit of choice. She also worked for the Australian Army for 11 years, so rum holds a special place in her heart. [Soldiers in Australia’s early colonial days were paid in rum, up to the famous rum rebellion of 1808].

Then rewind to 2015 when Chanel stepped into the Four Pillars Gin distillery for the first time. She was working on a partnership between Qantas and Four Pillars and knew she had found home. We immediately knew, almost a decade ago, that we would make rum. 

What sort of native ingredients do you use in your products?

We use scarce, native Australian plants and combine them with smoke and rare, fortified wine cask finishes. For our first release, we used bunya nuts. 

We removed the bunya shells and flame-torched them. Then gently oven-roasted the nuts. Then co-macerated both the shells and nuts in our rum. Bunya nuts are not commercially grown, so we’re limited by what nature grows every year, with a bumper crop only growing once every three years.

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We took inspiration from peated whiskies and mezcals to bring smoke into rum in a uniquely Australian way that celebrates our 65,000 year history, and showcases the magic of our culture and landscape.

Bunya nuts are really special because they grow on a prehistoric Australian tree called the bunya pine. They live for up to 600 years and produce pine cones that weigh up to 10kg with 30-100 nuts inside. They’re predominantly found in rainforests in south-east Queensland and northern NSW and taste like a combination of a pine nut and chestnut. 

Rum is very labour intensive – this must be a labour of love – what was the kicker to get into rum distilling?

We think there’s an incredible opportunity to turn rum upside down. To open the door for women to enjoy it. To show that it can hold its place amongst the best whiskies and mezcals. And to help make Australia one of the world’s greatest rum-producing countries because the main ingredient in rum is sugarcane.

Australia crushes 30 million tonnes of sugarcane every year, and we’re the world’s fourth largest exporter of raw sugar. There are countries growing less sugarcane than Australia that are more well known for rum than we are. It’s time for Australian rum to be on the world stage.

How do you ensure the ethical collection of native ingredients?

We worked with local Bundjalung woman, chef and Indigenous cultural advisor, Mindy Woods, to learn about bunya nuts from our Indigenous community first-hand, and to ensure we used them respectfully. Mindy also helped us source the bunya nuts from local foraging businesses in Bundjalung/Northern Rivers.

How to drink bunya nut rum?

A negroni, of course. You’ll find Birds of Isle’s recipe for a smoky rum twist on the classic here.

Shop the Birds of Isle range at the website here.

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