$7,099 bottle of rum for charity
HE will never taste a drop of it, but Mt Crosby mechanic Jason Pearson says his $7099 bottle of Bundaberg Rum is worth every cent.
And considering that the money will go directly to the Bundaberg SES team, it's hard to disagree with the outlandish purchase.
Despite his own mechanic shop in Milton, Pearson Automotive, being swallowed in January's flood, Mr Pearson still emptied his wallet for those who risked their lives during the disaster.
Mr Pearson bought the 10-year-old rum, which is part of the Master Distillers' Collection, on eBay earlier this month.
It was the fourth bottle off the production line and first bottle available to the public of the new drop.
The sale smashed all previous price records for a rum sale on eBay.
“It's worth every cent,” Mr Pearson said.
“It's a very unique bottle in that it's square shaped and the three distillers have signed it.
“The guy who sold it to me waited outside the distillery for three days so he was first in line when the bottles were ready.
“I knew the money would be going to a good cause – my business was affected by the floods in Brisbane too, so that was one deciding factor.
“I might even see if Bundaberg wants to put it on show.”
The seller of the bottle, Bundaberg Rum collector Barry De Berg, said he decided to auction a bottle about a week before the rum was launched at the beginning of March.
“The SES guys in Bundaberg, and around the state, worked through their Christmas and New Year breaks to offer support to those in need,” Mr De Berg said.
“I couldn't offer any physical help, but came up with this idea to buy and then auction one of the new MDC bottles.”
