Business and life partners Chanel Melani and Sally Carter are on a mission to change the way we think about rum; and via their premium Australian brand Birds of Isle, are giving other dark spirits a run for theirs at the bar.
“We want to turn the rum category upside down and show how rum can hold its place amongst the best whiskies, mezcals and Cognacs,” says Chanel Melani.
“Rum undeservedly has a reputation as a poor-quality spirit. But just like every other spirit, it’s fermented and distilled from a raw material, and in Australia it has a two-year ageing requirement,” she says.
Chanel and Sally were initiated into the world of rum at different life stages; but it ultimately led them to starting their own brand.
“Sally grew up in country NSW where the spirit of choice is rum, and discovered the joy of rum when she first discovered spirits,” says Melani.
“My discovery was less nostalgic. I discovered rum in my mid 20s through spiced rum. This was before I started exploring the world of luxury aged-rums with Sally when we started dating 12 years ago,” she adds.
With Birds of Isle, they’re hoping to bring more women to their spirit world.
“We’re women who love an aged rum on the rocks, but the outdated marketing tropes have seen women more broadly left out of the dark spirits world and that’s something we want to change,” says Melani.
“We’re creating a new culture for rum with a new provenance, new ingredients and new techniques, and we’re opening the door for all.”
Chanel Melani talks to us for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
Northern Rivers, New South Wales. It’s the ultimate combination of food, drinks and outdoor activities. As one of the great food bowl, it has growers, producers, distillers and brewers in abundance. Marry that with stunning national parks, mountain biking trails, ocean and creeks. It’s no wonder we still pinch ourselves every day, calling this paradise home.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
Sally and I had dinner at Pipit for the first time a year ago and it was love at first sight. They’re a 2-hatted restaurant in the Northern Rivers that focus on local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients cooked over fire. Nothing goes to waste, everything finds a use or second use in pastes, garums and ferments. Each course of the set menu heroes a different ingredient, and showcases that ingredient in different ways that are thought-provoking, creative and insanely delicious. To top it off, the entire team is welcoming, passionate and educated about the dishes and drinks they serve.
FAVOURITE BAR
At the moment it’d have to be Mullumbimby Continental for their Pisco Sour. Hands down, it’s the best Pisco Sour I’ve had. Add to that a warm, cosy, dimly lit bar, with food specials that change daily and hero the ingredients of the season. Their Italian dishes are top-notch, home-style food. I’m always excited to see dishes that my dad and nonno cooked at home on restaurant menus.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
I think it’d be a classic Martini. Not for the faint-hearted, straight to the point, and celebrates the elegance in simplicity.
BEST HANGOVER TIP
We’re about good consumption, not over consumption. We recommend drinking less, but better quality.
FAVOURITE BOTTLE OF WINE WITH FRIENDS
Scarborough Wine Co Yellow Label Chardonnay 2008
Scarborough Wine Co was our first stop on a trip to the Hunter Valley in 2013. Their cellar door staff quietly let us know the 2008 Yellow Label Chardonnay was their best vintage to date and we should stock up because there weren’t many bottles left. We naively thought we’d save room for more wine over the weekend and only bought a single bottle. We opened it years later with friends who appreciate Chardonnay as much as we do and were instantly filled with a deep sense of remorse from the poor decision we’d made all those years ago. What a drop!
NEXT DESTINATION
A Croatian sailing trip for one of my closest friend’s 40th birthdays.
RUM 101 – GIVE US THE TIPS
It’s important to know that there’s three broad styles of rum, each with different flavour profiles. The British style is bold and rich, from countries like Jamaica and Barbados. The French style is grassy and herbaceous, from countries like Martinique and Guadeloupe. The Spanish style is light and dry, from countries like Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Birds of Isle is inspired by the Spanish style, but reinterpreted in a way that celebrates Australia’s landscape and culture. What makes us so unique is that we’re the first luxury rum to combine smoke and scarce, native Australian plants from the Northern Rivers of NSW, with rare, Australian fortified wine cask finishes.
