Welcome to “Meet the Maker”, where we explore the stories behind artisans and producers.
We’ll chat with them, sharing insights and asking questions.
Whether you’re a savvy bartender or a curious spirit enthusiast, we’re here to spark your interest,
so, sit back and relax!
BRIX – Reinventing Australian Rum
In this episode of Meet the Maker, we had the opportunity to catch up with James Christopher, mastermind and director of BRIX Rum.

Here’s how it went!
Does Brix follow a specific style of rum?
While the pot still and molasses might hint at a British style, Australian rums have shown a tendency to forge their own identities over the years. What are your thoughts on this?
“We’ve always embraced the mindset of leading the Craft Australian Rum category into a modern era. Therefore, we haven’t focused on replicating a specific style of rum from elsewhere in the world. Our aim is to craft an Australian Rum tailored for Australian drinkers. Through extensive market research and understanding consumer preferences, we’ve developed a style that resonates with the Aussie palate- being approachable, flavourful, versatile across different occasions, and price-accessible.
This is all while remaining committed to our ethos of using all-Australian molasses, barrels previously used for Australian wine, beer, or spirits, and an Australian-made copper still.”
Speaking of your Australian-made still, Molly, boasting 5 plates, if I’m not mistaken? That’s quite impressive. How many runs do you typically conduct before bottling, and what ABV do you usually reach?
Do you adjust the still’s operation for different rum productions, or do you focus more on the aging process to impart flavour?
“Each run is double distilled and the spirit reaches 85%ABV.
We also use 4 plates for unaged Cane Spirit going straight into bottle, but we take the plates out for all the spirit going into barrel (keeping the esters & intensity to round out over time in the wood).
We usually barrel at 58%.”

With the rising popularity of flavored spirits, spanning from spiced rum to your delightful mango variation, the market’s inclination is evident.
Balancing trend adherence while maintaining brand authenticity presents a challenge, yet it can yield remarkable outcomes.
In your perspective, are flavored rums proving more effective in the market compared to spiced counterparts?
Additionally, how significant is trend monitoring in your strategy, and can we anticipate further releases of this nature in the future?
“We see flavoured rums as a chance to open up more people to rum and allow them to enter the category. Spiced rum is a huge (and growing) category and we know some people need a little help to jump in and explore the rum arena.
Flavoured rums in Europe and the UK are huge, so we do want to lightly play in that field, while still keeping true to our brand and mission to produce quality rum.
Our Mango Rum has been a huge success because it is appealing to those who may have a slightly negative impression of rum or who may not have tried too much rum in the past.
We definitely want our core range rums to lead our product portfolio, but if there are chances along the way to open up our brand to a new audience, we will look to develop a wider appealing product to educate and inform Australians about different styles of rum.
It’s all about showing diversity within the category and outlining that rum isn’t like whisky in that regard – it has elements of fun, light-heartedness and versatility – and we want to show that within the category.
We definitely keep a strong focus on quality and sourcing local products and we place a huge amount of importance on the R&D process to have the best quality outcome we can achieve.“
Thanks for chatting, James!
By the way, if you haven’t already, you’ve got to try their limited release Mango Rum—it’s fantastic!
Fun fact: It snagged a Gold Trophy Medal at the 2023 Australian Rum Awards.
If you don’t already… what are you doing? follow us on Instagram at Bar Crafts!
For more about BRIX, Check them out here!
Now, it’s your turn! Share your thoughts with us. Your opinions matter!
Let us know who we should talk to next!