Bundaberg Rum, colloquially known as Bundy, is a dark

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 ...

owned by

Diageo Diageo plc ( ) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits and operates from 132 sites around the world ...

. It is produced in Bundaberg East,

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 ...

, Australia, by the Bundaberg Distilling Company. In 2010, the Bundaberg Distilling Company was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.

History

Queensland State Archives 324 Bundaberg Rum Distillery Burnett River Bundaberg c 1931

Bundaberg Rum originated because the local sugar mills had a problem with what to do with the waste

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 ...

after the sugar was extracted. Molasses was heavy and difficult to transport, and the costs of converting it to stock feed were rarely worth the effort. Sugar men first began to think of the profits that could be made from distilling. The key meeting was held at the Royal Hotel on 1 August 1885. W. M. C. Hickson served as the chairman, and other notables in attendance included all the big sugar mill owners of that time: W. G. Farquhar, F. L. Nott, T. Austin, J. Gale, S. McDougall, T. Penny, S. H. Bravo and A. H. Young. All became the first directors of the company, which started with a capital of £5,000 converted into $9,725.18. The Bundaberg Distilling Company began its operations in 1888, and Bundaberg rum was first produced in 1889. Production ceased from 1907 to 1914, and from 1936 to 1939, after fires, the second of which caused rum from the factory to spill into the nearby

Burnett River The Burnett River is a river in the Wide Bay–Burnett and Central Queensland regions of Queensland, Australia. Course and features The Burnett River rises in the Burnett Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, close to Mount Gaeta and east ...

. Many fish were killed due to the liquor runoff into the river. Christsen Pty Ltd operated their own Bundaberg Rum bottling plant in Bourbong Street, Bundaberg, at the rear of their large grocery and hardware business in the centre of town. The spirit was sold at UP and OP strength from their business. BundabergRumFactory

In 1961, the company introduced the

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...

as its unusual choice of mascot, to imply that the rum could ward off the coldest chill. In 2000, the Bundaberg Rum company and 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 ...

were sold to British company

. In 2014, a decision by Diageo to relocate the bottling operations of Bundaberg Rum to the western Sydney suburb of Huntingwood resulted in job losses in Bundaberg. The decision drew criticism from various levels of Queensland politics. The

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

Campbell Newman Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman (born 12 August 1963) is an Australian former politician who served as the 38th Premier of Queensland from 26 March 2012 to 14 February 2015. He served as the member for Ashgrove in the Legislative Assembly of Que ...

, said it was a disappointing move, particularly for a region that had suffered devastating floods in recent years. Bundaberg mayor, Mal Forman, was also disappointed and concerned about the tourism impact. A Diageo spokeswoman later clarified the situation, saying some premium products, such as the Master Distillers Collection, would continue to be bottled in Bundaberg. "This was not a decision we have taken lightly, however it is a necessary one to ensure the longer term sustainability of the distillery. We remain absolutely committed to Bundaberg and the distillery and will continue to invest and focus on our core business of distilling, maturing and blending great quality rum in Bundaberg as we have done for the last 125 years".

Distillery

The Bundaberg Rum distillery is open to visitors for tours of the facility. There is also a museum which offers free samples of Bundaberg Rum products for visitors in a historic Queenslander house. The Big Bundy Bottle is also outside of the bond store. A new $8.5 million visitor centre opened to the public in August 2016 replacing the smaller historic house next door. In 2009 as part of the

Q150 Q150 was the sesquicentenary (150th anniversary) of the Separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. Separation established the Colony of Queensland which became the State of Queensland in 1901 as part of the Federation of Australia ...

celebrations, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location". The State Library of Queensland holds correspondence and financial records from the Bundaberg Distilling Co. Ltd. Records for years 1907 to 1946.

Variant flavours

* Bundaberg Rum UP '' 37%'' * Bundaberg Rum Original 100 Proof '' 50%'' * Bundaberg Rum Overproof '' 57.7%'' * Bundaberg Red '' 37%'' * Bundaberg Red 100 Proof '' 50%'' * Bundaberg Five '' 37%'' * Bundaberg Select Vat Aged 6 Years '' 37%'' * Bundaberg Mutiny Spiced Rum '' 37%'' * Master Distillers' Collection Small Batch '' 40%'' * Master Distillers' Collection Small Batch – Vintage Barrel '' 40%'' * Master Distillers Collection 280 '' 40%'' * Master Distillers Collection Black Barrel – Distilled 2004 – Black Glass '' 40%'' * Master Distillers Collection Black Barrel – Distilled 2004 – Clear Glass '' 40%'' * Master Distillers Collection Black Barrel – Distilled 2005 – Clear Glass '' 40%'' * Master Distillers Collection Blenders Edition 2014 '' 40%'' * Master Distillers Collection Blenders Edition 2015 '' 40%'' * Bundaberg Tropics – Pineapple & Coconut '' 23.5%'' * Bundaberg Royal Liqueur '' 20%'' * Bundaberg Royal Liqueur Banana and Toffee '' 20%'' * Bundaberg Royal Liqueur Coffee and Chocolate '' 20%'' * Bundaberg Royal Liqueur Salted Caramel '' 20%'' * Bundaberg Royal Liqueur Vanilla Spiced '' 20%'' * Bundaberg Royal Liqueur Xmas Puding with Brandy '' 20%'' * Bundaberg Royal Rum Ball '' 20%'' * Bundy Wings Heritage Label Original '' 37%''

Sponsorship

Holden VE Commodore of Fabian Coulthard 2011

Bundaberg Rum is a major sponsor of the Australian Wallabies

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

team and also sponsors the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series. Bundaberg is also a sponsor of the

NSW Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs ( or ;), often referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team based in Sydney that represents the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. The Waratahs play ...

. Bundaberg Rum sponsored the rugby league ANZAC Test till 2009. Bundaberg Rum signed a 5-year deal with the NRL to be the official dark rum of the NRL. They are also the naming-rights sponsor of NRL Friday Night Football. From 2009 until 2011, Bundaberg Rum sponsored V8 Supercar team Walkinshaw Racing.

Recognition

Bundaberg Rum has been distinguished with numerous awards. In 2011, Bundaberg Rum's Master Distillers' Collective rum was launched, with the first three releases, the 10 Year Old, Port Barrel and Golden Reserve, winning awards in the global stage.

Advertising

Bundaberg Rum has also been criticised for targeting its advertising towards young people and boys, through television commercials during NRL broadcasts, and other promotions. A series of advertisements featuring the Bundaberg Rum bear, a

known as Bundy R. Bear, were produced by advertising agency

Leo Burnett Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an American advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for creating some of advertising's most well-known characters and campaigns of the 20th cen ...

to align the product 'with a larrikin approach to Australian mateship'. The Bundaberg Rum bear first appeared in 1961. It was designed to soften rum's aggressive image and broaden its appeal from the traditional older male drinker to a more sociable audience. The advertisements have been cited as a favourite among Australia's youth.

References

External links

Bundaberg Rum
– official website
Diageo
– parent company {{Diageo plc Diageo brands Rum produced in Australia Distilleries in Australia Australian brands Bundaberg East, Queensland Food and drink companies established in 1888 1888 establishments in Australia Australian companies established in 1888 Products introduced in 1889 Companies based in Queensland Tourist attractions in Bundaberg Culture of Queensland Queensland cuisine Dark rums