OUR
STORY
A rum 10 years in the making...
Pull The Pin... a passion for flavour, a taste for quality, a love of life
Who knows where life will take you? It’s a mystery to most of us. But sometimes when you look back you see a strikingly clear path to exactly where you are right now... the chances you took, the unexpected opportunities that came your way, the turning-point moments where you stepped into the excitement of the unknown and found yourself exactly where you’re supposed to be.
This is Tom’s path to Pull The Pin and a rum that’s been ten years, perhaps even a whole lifetime, in the making.
Tom Foster
'Gentleman distiller'
Intrepid adventurer
Quiet perfectionist
Squeeze every drop of flavour you can from life
Tom grew up as a curious kid in a family of chefs. Surrounded by foodies and experimenting with food, he learned young that it's using high quality ingredients that gives you fantastic flavours.
Joining the military at seventeen, Tom headed off into the world collecting tales of adventures, gathering knowledge of local spirit production and building an ever-expanding kitbag of spices. He became the ‘Spice Soldier’, known for boosting morale with experimental spirits and spiced-up rations. Tom knows from experience how finding the perfect balance of spices can lift you up, bring colour to your world and help you appreciate everyday life.
And the rum? Well, who in military life doesn't have an affinity with rum? Whether it was a Christmas morning tot for the troops from his commanding officer, or a snifter warming him through after ice-breaking drills in Norway, rum has been with Tom all the way.
So, when injury made it time for Tom to leave his Army Commando career behind and step into his next adventure, the path was clear...
"Spice livens up your life, leads you on adventures and warms you body and soul. For me, creating Pull The Pin was always going to be my natural next step."
Tom's tales of spirit and spice
Stationed off the coast of Albania and the ‘creativity of boredom’ kicks in on ship. A makeshift still is brought to life from a household kettle and some bits and bobs in the stores. It may all have ended in vapour-induced headaches and some terrible tasting raki (aniseed spirit) but a fascination with distillation takes hold of Tom.
Madcap inventor
When you travel from Norwegian ski exercises in minus 20 to the 45 degree heat of tropical north Australia, a refreshing brew is absolutely essential! Tom’s love of (obsession with?) all things ginger led him to an explosively messy experiment with ginger beer and a deep understanding of how working with yeast brings out incredible flavours in alcohol.
Experimental home-brewer
Tom’s first experiments in spiced rum for the troops may have tasted lovely and smelled incredible, but too many cloves in the mix made them weirdly mouth-numbing. Lessons learnt? A bottle of clove oil in the desert is a life-saver when there’s miles of sand between you and the nearest dentist. When you're infusing flavour, balance is all…
Accidental medicine man
After time spent training Saudi forces, a princely thank-you banquet served up a feast of luxury and flavour. But it was the subtle blending of cardamom and nutmeg in a simple rice pudding desert, rather than any of the royal finery, that captivated Tom and set him on his quest for a seamless marriage of alcohol and spice.
During long-range patrols in the Jordanian desert, Tom was awed by local hospitality and the most incredible cinnamon tea he’d ever drunk – a multi-layered explosion of flavour and warmth. He discovered the most important ingredients of all: care, attention to detail and a desire that each drink you create will be the best you’ve ever made.
In some much needed down time, Tom took a luxurious trip through Caribbean waters, sampling local drinks as he sailed from place to place. Discovering the unique personalities of each island's rum as he travelled, he learned to recognise quality spirits that could help him achieve his vision of the perfect spiced rum.
Guest of royalty
Desert tea-drinker
Island-hopping explorer
Kerry Francis
Passionate optimist
Magical multitasker
Dynamic dreamer
Pull the pin and live life wholeheartedly
If Tom is Pull The Pin’s mellow Spiced Rum then Kerry has to be our Passionfruit & Pineapple Rum… full of sunshine and zest for life.
Kerry lives life with enthusiasm and gives her all to everything she does. She's full of endless questions about the world and fascinated by all she sees.
Bright, energetic and brimming with ideas, Kerry grabs at the opportunities that come her way and embraces change. She's a true embodiment of the Pull The Pin ethos.
When they met working in the military, Kerry and Tom realised she'd be the perfect business partner to help bring Pull The Pin into the world, She's a get-things-done kind of woman and every successful business needs a Kerry to help guide it to a brighter future.
Our vision
At Pull The Pin we craft spirits of exceptional flavour and personality. We believe that life is for celebrating, and we aim to bring a sense of joy and adventure to all that we do. We act with care and integrity, and we’re committed to using natural ingredients of the very highest quality. We’re proud to say our foundations are in supporting charitable causes and helping others to find joy in the everyday.
