Next in our ‘Meet the Distiller‘ series, aimed at promoting the hard-working individuals behind Australian craft distilleries and their brands, we meet Shane Casey, Head Distiller at Brix Distillers in Sydney.
Shane Casey, Brix Distillers – Photo Supplied
Tell us a little about yourself, your position and where you work.
Shane Casey: I’m originally from the Hawkesbury in Sydney’s west but I moved to the city in 2014 to pursue a career in distilling. I’m the head distiller at Brix Distillers, an urban distillery in Surry Hills, focusing on creating and celebrating high quality Rum.
How did you get started in distilling?
I started my working career out as a 3rd generation boilermaker in the family business. After 7 years of civil and mechanical engineering, I was at a turning point in my life and started exploring different options to shape a lifelong career, something both challenging and rewarding. I was fascinated by all things to do with booze; the countless range of categories, styles, flavours and the surrounding culture and history. So switching to distilling made a lot of sense. I was passionate about spirits, there is constant problem solving and the end result is something tangible that I can enjoy and share with others.
Tell us a little bit about your distillery, when it was founded, the vision behind it and the spirits you currently produce.
Brix is a distillery focussing on all things Rum. It was founded by three mates; James, Damien and Sid and we opened in August 2018 after 2-3 years of research, planning and construction.
The vision is to bring quality rum to bars and backyards across Australia. Starting with the distillery bar in Surry hills, the idea is to have a central place to share knowledge about the process of crafting rum and the many ways and occasions to enjoy and appreciate it.
What has been the most rewarding part so far and are there any innovations that have impressed you?
The most rewarding part is seeing that light bulb moment when a sworn-off spirits drinker is tasting a quality spirit for the first time and they realise that they can actually drink it neat and really enjoy it.
Distilling has been around for a very long time, so I would say there are actually very few new innovations in the industry, except in the areas of practising sustainability and making consciences decisions regarding ethics and the environment. I feel there is a movement away from industrial produced spirit towards less efficient artisanal spirits produced with integrity and purpose.
Aside from taxation, what has been the most challenging part so far?
The shortage of training and education available. There are currently no accredited courses focussing on distilling in Australia for people wishing to enter the industry or further their knowledge. This makes it hard for people to enter the industry as well as to find qualified distillers to employ.
What advice would you give anyone considering distilling as a career?
Start with homebrewing and learn the basics behind fermentation. Cook a lot and learn how different flavour combinations work together or against each other. Read up on distillation and go to masterclasses to learn how to identify and describe the flavours in different spirits.
What’s your opinion on the current state of Australian distilling, and is it sustainable long term?
The Australian distilling industry is in its youth, so with minimal foundations there are a lot of new up and comers paving their own way by drawing advice and influence from the much more established beer and wine industries. This is exciting to see because I think this networking and sharing of knowledge is the key to sustaining and growing our industry.
Where do you see the future of Australian distilling heading?
I see the focus shifting more and more away from process and technique to showcasing provenance with interesting and high quality local ingredients. I also see a focus on distillers coming up with creative ways of minimising or utilising waste/bi-products in the beverage and food industries.
Are there any projects in development that we can look forward to?
Firstly our rum being distilled and matured right here in Sydney, but that is a few years away. In the meantime, we are in the research and development stage of creating a small scale Australian Agricole cane spirit, which we are really focussing on the influence provenance can have on the final spirit
Any closing comments?
The Australian spirits drinking culture is growing in diversity, and as an industry, we should try to follow suit. Firstly, I’d like to see more women distillers, men disproportionately outnumber women in the industry and that affects the types of spirits we produce and the flavour profiles we create. I’d also like to see bigger diversity in skill sets, and experience in complementary industries such as cooking, science, engineering, botany and horticulture.
Brix Distillers is listed in the Australian Distillery Directory.
In partnership with Brix Distillers.
