A 2019 lightbulb moment and experimenting in her garage produced a gold and two bronze rum awards in 2022 for self-taught cane spirit maker Keri Algar.
Based at sparkling northern New South Wales Cabarita Beach and surrounded by lush cane fields since 2006, Keri is the founder and head distiller of Soltera Rum.
Born in Madrid, Spain and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, Keri was always a traveller and dreamer.
“I travelled the world as a dive instructor. In fact, I still guide turtle snorkelling tours at Cook Island,” Keri said. “But my dream was always to have a rum bar on a tropical island.
“It was 2019 when thinking about the surrounding cane fields, I realised all the ingredients to make rum were right at my fingertips.”
FERMENT AND EXPERIMENT
After purchasing a 25L still and armed with a bucket of stock feed molasses, a punnet of baker’s yeast, and a recipe from Google, the experimentation in her garage began.
In late 2020, Keri threw in her tedious desk job when she thought everything was good. She vows she was never suited to city life, long commutes, or office work and loves the great outdoors and freedom it offers.
“Of course, with freedom comes ultimate responsibility. I was after a creative, local, unique, and challenging occupation. And that’s what I got. Friends thought I was crazy starting a business in an industry completely unknown to me. An industry that is male-dominated, during a pandemic, without investors and at the age of 39.”
Keri used her savings for her business capital and still works part-time to butter her bread. Even without financing or loans, she is making headway, albeit slowly. She’s building a solid foundation that will support continued growth.
“I haven’t stopped tinkering with recipes either. I’m still learning. Often it feels like I’m learning what not to do. But I realise that it’s not a bad thing. It’s helpful and progressive.
“Problem-solving is a good challenge. It gets my brain thinking and keeps me on my toes and resourceful. I know five per cent of what there is still to learn, but I’m getting there, one small batch at a time.”
Keri’s skills go beyond economics. She’s passionate, efficient, and thrifty. Skills learned from the Scottish in her grandmother and mother.
“Being thrifty is good for business, for resources and the planet. Whatever I do in the business needs to make good common sense — that also helps to counteract the dreamer in me.”
Two years on, it has paid dividends, with her two products winning awards.
“My products are now strong contenders in the Australian rum scene.”
