Beenleigh Rum
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Beenleigh Rum is one of Australia's oldest brands of rum. It is currently available in both dark and light rum grades. Both varieties are fermented from sugar cane molasses.[1]
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[edit] History
The heritage-listed Beenleigh Rum Distillery is the oldest registered distillery in Australia,[2][3] and is a rare survivor of Australia's early sugar industry. It commenced operations in 1884[4], and was the legal successor to a floating moonshine still, the SS Walrus, which drifted between cane plantations evading police in the early 1800s.[5]
The distillery was developed to include a blending hall, bottling plant, warehouse and administration facilities.[6] It is located on the bank of the Albert River in Eagleby, Queensland (once a part of Beenleigh), and is a landmark on the river flats in the area.
Over the years, the once famous Beenleigh Rum lost its prominent place in Australia to the British owned behemoth, Bundaberg Rum.[7]
In 2003, the Beenleigh Rum brand name was sold to Vok Beverages, a subsidiary of Adelaide based beverage company Bickford's Australia.
The historic Beenleigh Rum Distillery was sold to rival Inner Circle Rum in 2001[8] for $2.7 million[9]. Inner Circle was, in turn, purchased by multinational Lion Nathan in 2007. Lion Nathan now uses the Beenleigh distillery to produce rum under the Inner Circle brand.[10][11]
As of 2007, Vok Beverages was still distributing Beenleigh Rum in Australia, and remains 100% Australian owned.
[edit] See also
- Beenleigh (township)
- List of rum producers
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Minsistry of Rum website[1]
- ^ Collections Australia Network[2]
- ^ Gold Coast city council website[3]
- ^ Beenleigh State School archive[4]
- ^ Australian Good Food & Accommodation Guide[5]
- ^ Gold Coast City Council newsletter[6]
- ^ True Wines, New Zealand website[7]
- ^ ExtraOnline website[8]
- ^ Inner Circle Rum magazine[9] (PDF document)
- ^ The Courier Mail newspaper, 8 March, 2007. Story:"Inner Circle Rum sold"[10]
- ^ The Age newspaper, 8 March, 2007. Story:"Lion Nathan in high spirits after buying Inner Circle"[11]
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