Rum made naturally

Local and sustainable

Cabarita Beach is located in northern New South Wales, Australia, an area that is awash with sugar cane - the base ingredient from which rum is made. Soltera is produced from molasses exclusively sourced from the local sugar mill at Condong near Murwillumbah. Molasses is a bi-product of the sugar making process.

This means it presents in its aromatic fragrance and flavour the terroir of the Tweed Valley: its salty ocean breeze, fertile soils and sweet subtropical climate. It also makes Soltera a Single Origin rum according to Gargano Classification.

Free from additives

Soltera Rum is proudly free from additives and preservatives. While most common rums contain added sugar, colouring and flavouring post distillation, Soltera is remarkably flavourful, naturally. Its natural sweetness and caramel overtures come from the molecular composition of the molasses that is carried over through distillation.

The sustainable process

Distillation is part science, part art.

To start with we stir together molasses and water, then mix it with yeast; this is known as the 'wash'. Similar to the Caribbean where modern rum was born, Cabarita's climate lends itself to natural fermentations. Once the yeast have converted all the available sugars to alcohol, the wash is transferred to the still. A still is a like a giant kettle; the wash is heated and because alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water, this boils off first. The alcoholic steam rises through the column and into a condenser where it cools and reforms into a liquid. Once this is collected, it is run through the still for a second time. This is what makes Soltera double-distilled and small-batch. Each handcrafted batch is unique due to seasonal variations and tweaks to the recipe and production for continuous improvement.

Soltera aged rum

Some of Soltera's debut spirit, Blanco, is left to rest before bottling unaged, this is legally classified as a "cane spirit". By law in Australia, this spirit must be stored in wood for two years before it is able to be defined as "rum". The remainder of spirit product is preserved for barrel ageing.

Our Australian handmade copper pot still is called Félix, named after our distiller's grandfather who, prophetically, worked as a chemist in a sugar factory in Spain. Félix (the still, not grandfather) uses green power to displace its energy usage with certified renewable energy that has no greenhouse gas emissions. Water from the system irrigates our garden, which is fertilised by what's left in the still after distillation. Nothing goes to waste. 

Soltera's bottles use a swing top lid so that they can be easily reused - they're handy for storing water, legumes, grains, or for use as a funky flower vase. Our favourite use for them is storing cocktail syrups we make at home, like cinnamon syrup or simple syrup!

 Cabarita Beach home of Soltera Rum