Beenleigh Rum is among Australia's oldest brands of

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

. It is produced at the heritage-listed

Beenleigh Rum Distillery Beenleigh Rum Distillery is a heritage-listed rum distillery at Distillery Road, Eagleby (once part of Beenleigh), City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. The distillery produces Beenleigh Rum. It was built from to . It was added to the Queensl ...

in the suburb of Eagleby (formerly part of

Beenleigh Beenleigh is a town and suburb in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Beenleigh had a population of 8,425 people. A government survey for the new town was conducted in 1866. The town is the terminus for the Beenle ...

) in the

City of Logan The City of Logan is a local government in Australia, local government area (LGA) located in the south of Greater Brisbane in South East Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. Beenleigh Rum is 100 per cent Australian-made from local and imported ingredients and is available in 700 ml Dark Rum aged for 5 years, 700 ml White Rum and 700 ml Honey Liqueur Dark. All rum grades are

fermented Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...

from Queensland

molasses Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...

. The

distillery Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

was developed to include a blending hall, bottling plant, warehouse and administration facilities, as well as a bar and restaurant. It is located on the banks of the Albert River and is a landmark on the river flats in the area.

History

The ''Beenleigh Rum Distillery'' is the oldest registered

in Australia, and is a rare survivor of Australia's early

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

industry. It commenced operations in 1884 and was the legal successor to a floating

moonshine Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...

still A still is an apparatus used to distillation, distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively Boiling, boil and then cooling to Condensation, condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic Distillation#Laboratory_procedures, ...

, the ''SS Walrus'', which drifted between cane plantations and evading police in the early 19th century. The original proprietor, James Stewart, sold the boat's still to local entrepreneurs who used it to start the Beenleigh Rum Distillery. Between 1981 and 2005 a museum featuring displays on the history of sugar and rum production in the Beenleigh area was open at the distillery. The stills, vats and photos were relocated to the

Beenleigh Historical Village The Beenleigh Historical Village and Museum is an open-air museum at Main Street, Beenleigh, City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. It preserves twenty buildings from Beenleigh's past which contain many collections related to the history of this d ...

. During the 1960s and 70s, Beenleigh outsold it largest rival,

Bundaberg Rum Bundaberg Rum, colloquially known as Bundy, is a dark rum owned by Diageo. It is produced in Bundaberg East, Queensland, Australia, by the Bundaberg Distilling Company. In 2010, the Bundaberg Distilling Company was inducted into the Queensland ...

. Over the years, it lost market share and rebranded under different guises after being sold to successive owners. Stuart Gilbert reinvigorated the brand in 2000 when he purchased the trademark and partnered with Malcolm Campbell, old master Distiller, to bring the brand back to life. In 2003, the Beenleigh Rum

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

name was sold to

Vok Beverages Vok Beverages is a drink manufacturer in South Australia. Earlier history Before the acquisition by Bickford's of the brandname, Vok was a brand of a range of liqueurs manufactured by Jan Vok, a Dutch company, popular in Papua pre-war. Immedi ...

, a subsidiary of

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

based

beverage A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...

company

Bickford's Australia Bickford's Australia Pty. Ltd. is an Australian beverage manufacturer based in South Australia. The brand produces traditional cordials, soft drinks, and iced coffee mix originally manufactured by A. M. Bickford & Sons, a pharmaceutical chemi ...

. Gilbert sold the brand in 2007. In May 2012

purchased the Beenleigh Distillery and reconnected the brand and the distillery, which is back to being produced at the Beenleigh Distillery – using traditional Pot Distillation, in line with how it was produced by CSR in Australia from 1855 to 1986.Inner Circle back in Australian hands
. The Shout. The Intermedia Group. Retrieved 6 January 2014.

Products

The Beenleigh Rum Distillery also produces

Inner Circle Rum Inner Circle Rum is a dark rum produced in Australia. The ''Inner Circle Rum'' brand name was sold to Vok Beverages, a subsidiary of Adelaide-based beverage company Bickford's Australia. As of 2011 the brand is still owned by the 100% Australian ...

. Inner Circle was the exclusive preserve of Australia's Colonial Sugar Refining Company's board of directors and a handful of its prized clients, and even they were only entitled to the occasional bottle. Despite its limited availability, word of Inner Circle's unique flavour became legendary- whispered among rum enthusiasts the world over. Inner Circle Rum was lost when CSR sold the brand in 1986.

References

External links

Vok BeveragesBeenleigh Rum Website
* — 1931 newspaper article about the Beenleigh Rum Distillery {{coord, -27.72331, 153.22196, type:landmark_region:AU-QLD, display=title Rum produced in Australia Australian brands Distilleries in Australia Companies based in Queensland Food and drink companies established in 1884 Australian companies established in 1884 Logan City Culture of Queensland Queensland cuisine

History

Products

See also

References

External links