Our
Story.
This is a story about family, the history of Sydney, Rum and doing something that hasn’t been done before. Red Mill Rum, first bottled in 1933, now made entirely new again by the original founder’s great-grandson.
Red Mill
Milestones.
1933
Red Mill was first trademarked by George "Bunny" Fesq. The Rums were sourced by cask from the CSR refinery and distillery in Pyrmont. The first Fesq's Red Mill Rum was released to trade customers in Sydney.
1946
George's son, Bill Fesq, returned from the war to find the family business struggling. Rum would be the key to survival. By 1950, Red Mill would sell 300,000 bottles each year in Sydney.
1954
Red Mill had flourished in the Sydney bars. The iconic, "Your Shout" campaign adorned busses and trains through the next decade.
1979
The time of Fesq's Red Mill comes to a close, with the brand being sold to the William Grant spirits business. It carried on for a few more years into the mid-1980s.
2020
The idea to regrow Red Mill is formed. The first batches of the new Red Mill Rum were distilled by David Fesq in a commercial offsite distillery in Robinvale. The first container of rare and unique barrels sourced from around the world arrived and were filled in 2021.
2024
Red Mill moves into its new home in White Bay, Sydney. Plans are made to bring the full production in house alongside the barrel hall of 300+ casks. The first releases of the new Red Mill are blended and bottled for sale.
At Red Mill we embody the new and old of Sydney. The classic working waterfront and the bold ideas it produced. The history of the City of Rum combined with a vision for something totally new. “A forgotten rum from 1933 has been brought back to life – and hatted restaurants can’t get it on their drinks lists fast enough.” — The Sydney Morning Herald
... Rum is a byword for freedom. A drink for whenever you want, however you want ...
Born and Raised
Fermented and Distilled by Red Mill
We first developed the ideas and recipes for Red Mill in a style we thought suited our times. A no-compromise approach, with a goal to produce a fine, complex, delicious style of Rum. After numerous trials and distillations through 2020, we produced the first new batches in a commercial facility that offered the use of their equipment while we got started.
These first distillates were a great success, and were put to barrel in Spring 2021. These earliest casks included ex-Bourbon, Cognac, White & Red Bordeaux, Australian Pinot Noir and Oloroso Sherry barrels.
We now produce our new rums in our Sydney home.
A Barrel Program Like No Other
The White Bay Barrel Hall
Red Mill has a unique and special approach to the elevage of its rums. Alongside our traditional bourbon barrel program, we have rums aged in a collection of rare and exotic barrels sourced from around the world. Casks that have previously held some of the world’s great wines and spirits. The magic is in this one-of-a-kind barrel hall. If you visit Red Mill, you will see casks that previously held Sauternes, Cognac, various Whiskies, Madeira, Sherries, red & white wines from around the world. There are sizes ranging from 125L to 1600L in size.
We blend these casks into regular bottlings and rare special expressions.