Rum has been a part of our culture since the conception of modern Australia. From the first settlers using it as currency, to it being outlawed and then traded on the black market, rum has a century-old history that is very much alive today.

Australians have grown up with rum, yet many of us don’t know a whole lot about it. Brix rum distillery has opened on Bourke Street, and is determined to put Australian rum on the world map.

Brix is the project of long time friends James, Damian and Sid. I caught up with James inside the distillery, where a sleek bar and dining area sits amidst the huge silver vats of maturing rum.

“I don’t think Australia recognises what good quality rum is,” says James. “We appreciate good whiskey, gin and craft beer, but there’s a whole side to rum that’s incredibly high quality around the world. We want to lift Australia’s appreciation of quality rum, and get our product to that international level.”

Brix has a real focus on educating its patrons about the distilling process. You’re invited to take a tour of the distillery, taste the rums on offer and even lay your own custom barrel.

The ‘Brix White’ is distilled on site, and the ‘Brix Gold’ is blended by a master mixer in the Netherlands, from five and eight year old Barbados rums. The ‘Brix Spiced’ is set to launch this month, a blend of ‘Brix Gold’ and an array of infusers, also created on site.

“We want to make one thing and be excellent at it,” says James. “We want to capture something Australians recognise and show them another side to it. I think more than anything, educating people about the distilling process and its history is what makes us unique.”