![A bottle of Beenleigh Rum, 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/A_bottle_of_Beenleigh_Rum%2C_2015.jpg)
Beenleigh Rum is one of 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 usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...
. It is produced at the heritage-listed
Beenleigh Rum Distillery
Beenleigh Rum Distillery is a heritage-listed rum distillery at Distillery Road, Eagleby, Queensland, Eagleby (once part of Beenleigh, Queensland, Beenleigh), City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. The distillery produces Beenleigh Rum. It was b ...
at
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 8,252 people.
A government survey for the new town was conducted in 1866. The town is the terminus for the Beenl ...
) in the
City of Logan
Logan City is a local government area situated within the south of the Brisbane metropolitan area in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast to the south, the City also bor ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
. This Australian Rum is 100% Australian made from local and imported ingredients and is available in 700 ml Dark Rum aged for 5 years, 700 ml White Rum and Australia's only 700 ml Honey Liqueur Dark rum
rum grades. All three offers are
fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...
from Queensland
molasses.
The
distillery was developed to include a blending hall, bottling plant, warehouse and administration facilities. It is located on the bank of the
Albert River and is a landmark on the river flats in the area.
History
![Advertisement for Beenleigh Rum (1921)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Advertisement_for_Beenleigh_Rum_%281921%29.jpg)
The ''Beenleigh Rum Distillery'' is the oldest registered
distillery in Australia, and is a rare survivor of Australia's early
sugar industry. It commenced operations in 1884 and was the legal successor to a floating
moonshine still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been use ...
, 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. 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 good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
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 capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
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, smoo ...
company
Bickford's Australia. Gilbert sold the brand in 2007. In May 2012
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 ...
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% Australia ...
. 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.
See also
*List of rum producers
Rum is distilled in a wide variety of locations by a number of different producers. Below is a list of rum distillers and brands organized by location of the distiller.
Africa
Democratic Republic of Congo
* Kwilu Rum
Eswatini / Swaziland
...
References
External links
Vok Beverages
Beenleigh Rum Website
* — 1931 newspaper article about the Beenleigh Rum Distillery
{{coord, -27.72331, 153.22196, type:landmark_region:AU-QLD, display=title
Australian rums
Australian brands
Distilleries in Australia
Companies based in Queensland
Food and drink companies established in 1884
Australian companies established in 1884
Logan City
Distilled drinks