Meet the Team: Head distiller Quentin Brival
Introducing Quentin Brival, Head Distiller
Born in Martinique, (A French island in the Caribbean) rum literally runs through our head distiller Quentin Brival’s veins. Martinique is a small island, only 80 kms long but with a dozen or so rum distilleries, it’s safe to say the Caribbean culture is alive and kicking.
Quentin grew up immersed in the rum culture, but not in the ‘throwing it down your neck’ kind of way. More like the ‘Ti Punch’ way - white agricole rum served neat with a lime coin and raw sugar sipped on those hot Caribbean afternoons.
“Where I’m from, people don’t really go to bars to drink, we make Ti Punch at home or at the beach with friends and swirl it around for a while before savouring the flavor - then we go out to dance.” Quentin said.
Studying mechanical engineering and international business gave Quentin the tools to travel the world, living and working in France, Spain, Canada, India, China and finally settling in Perth. “I came here because I was in love with an Australian girl, but I ended up stating after I fell in love with the country.”
With a natural passion and desire to make rum, he began moonlighting at a small Perth distillery - whilst quietly honing his sensory analysis skills taste testing his own collection at home.
Searching high and low to find an argicole rum and knowing that sugar cane is grown in abundance in the tropics of Northern NSW and Queensland, Quentin set about to find an Australian version.
Fast forward and ‘Hello Husk’, Quentin quickly boarded a plane to the Gold Coast in search of Husk Farm Distillery in the small town of Tumbulgum, NSW. The meeting with founder Paul Messenger and his family would see the beginning of a promising and fruitful relationship.
Quentin Brival and Founder Paul Messenger in front of Fat Bastard, the 6000L Forsyth still
Quentin wanted Paul to taste his private rum collection and in -turn he needed to smell and taste the authenticity of the Husk Rum they were producing - one sniff and Quentin was in.
Since then Quentin has been at the helm of Husk Distiller’s team, responsible for new product development, producing Husk Rums and the ever-popular Ink Gin.
A couple of years later and with the opening of a sparkling new distillery, cellar door, bar and café- Quentin’s found his island home in the riverside town of Tumbulgum, Northern NSW.