The Husk Distillery is what you might call Paul Messenger's midlife renaissance. Once a geologist, Paul swapped rocks for rum, chasing a dream that bubbled up from deep within. His passion flows into every bottle, and one sip of his Husk rum has the remarkable ability to dissolve life’s burdens, warming you from the inside out.
Nestled under the watchful eye of Wollumbin, the "cloud catcher" in Bundjalung language, Paul and his family have transformed their breathtaking property into an organic haven for crafting Rhum Agricole. Here, the sugar cane is not just grown, but crushed, fermented, and distilled on-site. Even the cattle in the adjacent fields have a role, munching on the waste mash.
While most rums are mere byproducts of sugar production, born from molasses, Husk rum is a purist’s delight, fermenting fresh sugar cane juice. The result? A light, fresh, vegetal flavour reminiscent of cachaca or French colonial Rhum Agricole, perfect for cocktails that sing of their origins.
The farm itself lies on the banks of the Tweed River in Tumbulgum, a town with a history as rich as its landscape. Once known for its "red gold" timber, the town lends its name to one of Husk's aged rums, matured in new American oak barrels. The Northern Rivers’ climate, with its dramatic temperature swings, provides an ideal setting for ageing rum.
Look west, and you'll find ancient forests, remnants of the Gondwana supercontinent, harbouring flora like the Podocarpus Elatus, or Illawarra plum—one of our favoured flavours. Imagine, twenty million years ago, lava cascaded from the towering Wollumbin volcano, shaping the Tweed Valley, its mountains, and reefs. It's a geological journey you can ponder with each sip of Tumbulgum rum.
Inspired by the majesty of the location and its local bounty, we spirited away a bottle of Husk's ‘North Coast Bar Series’ back to Flight Club. This unaged cane spirit felt perfectly at home in a Pisco Sour. To make it sing, we blended it with local treasures: lemon-scented myrtle (Backhousia Citriodora) and Illawarra plum (Podocarpus Elatus). A true testament to place, passion, and the pursuit of perfection.
Pink Magma
Ingredients:
- 60ml North Coast Bar Series
- 40ml fresh lemon juice
- 25ml lemon myrtle syrup
- 10ml Illawarra plum tannic tincture
- 1 egg white
Method:
Begin your alchemical journey by dry shaking all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker—no ice, just the raw essence of each component coming together. Then, add ice and shake with the fervour of a mad scientist. Strain the effervescent mixture into a chilled cocktail glass, letting the chill caress your creation.
Taste:
Expect a sophisticated symphony of cane spirit and citrus, harmonising beautifully before finishing with the dry, fruit-forward notes imparted by the Illawarra plum tannic tincture. A drink that's as complex and intriguing as the landscape that inspired it.
