Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Queensland, Australia
Russia has its vodka, Japan has its sake, and Australia has its rum. Not just any old rum, though. One type in particular – Bundaberg Rum.
Growing up in Australia I never drank a lot of it personally but it was everywhere you went. “A bundy and coke,” would be the order over the bar and everyone would know exactly what that meant. Bundaberg Rum is by far Australia’s highest-selling spirit yet it is barely known outside the country. Only about 3 per cent of the rum produced is exported internationally and most of that is to New Zealand.
For Australians, though, it is almost a divine elixir and so visiting the distillery where it is made is a form of pilgrimage. And the site is right in the middle of – you guessed it – Bundaberg on the Queensland coast. In fact, it’s one of the best things to do in Bundaberg.
The distillery came about because of the large number of sugarcane fields in the region. The leftover product from the sugar extraction – called molasses – used to literally flow through the streets. The people of the town needed to work out what to do with it all and, being Australians, they decided to make booze.
The first rum was produced in Bundaberg in 1888 and although the process has been modernised over the years, it’s remarkably similar today to how it all started out. On a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery, I’m surprised at how basic the whole operation is.
The pit of molasses is huge – almost the size of an Olympic swimming pool. You wouldn’t want to go swimming in it. The tour guide warns me that it’s so thick you would basically sink and have trouble moving. Like a huge pit of quicksand.
The process to extract the alcohol from the molasses is quite technical but it’s done in just a few large containers in one building. There’s the fermentation process and then a few procedures to get it to the right level. Pipes connect the different tanks where the distilling occurs.
And then finally there’s the factory where a small and carefully automated production line cleans bottles, fills and closes them, labels are applied and the bottles are packed into boxes. A few workers oversee the process but, in theory, the robots and machines do the whole job. It’s strange to see the whole length of the production line take up just the space of a tennis court. Considering so much Bundaberg Rum is drunk every day, you would expect much more.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take any photos inside the distillery. Because the alcohol is so flammable, anything that could cause a spark (including electronics like phones and cameras) has to be left outside in a locker. It’s a thorough tour, though, which is done every hour each day. The guides are energetic and well-informed and happy to answer any questions. You really do come away from the visit with a much better understanding of the history of the drink.
It’s even inspired me to drink a little bit more Bundaberg Rum. Just to help the local economy, of course. I am a good Australian, after all!
Time Travel Turtle was a guest of Queensland but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.
Caroline Eubanks |
I took the bus through town but didn’t stop. Now I wish I had!
Michael Turtle |
It’s a good place to stop for a couple of days. The nearby coast is very popular for family holidays but there’s stuff to do for everyone, I think.
Mary @ Green Global Travel |
Looks like a fun and interesting little place! I’m all for helping out local economies! Thanks for sharing.
Michael Turtle |
Well, I think Bundaberg Rum does pretty well considering it’s the most popular spirit in Australia. And I’m pretty sure it’s owned by an international company these days. But it still has a very special place in the culture of the local community!
Angus Pryor |
Hi Michael
my job has changed recently and it seems I’ll have the opportunity to travel to Bundaberg for work. I had wondered about the Bundy factory and must admit, I’m even more curious following your story. I might have to look it up.
Cheers! : )
Michael Turtle |
Hi Angus – you should definitely go along for a tour. It’s really interesting to see how it all works. In some ways, it’s much simpler than I expected. But I think it’s through some very clever techniques that they’ve been able to keep it basic.
Hannah |
Too bad we didn’t reach queensland when we were in Australia. 🙁
Michael Turtle |
Well, it’s a big country so you can be forgiven. But you should try and get there one day. There is so much to offer and there’s some pretty magical stuff (especially away from the big cities).
Jennifer |
I always associate Australia with wine, but never knew they produced rum. That’s totally crazy that the distillery is so flammable!
Michael Turtle |
Oh, there’s a lot of sugar cane up north and where there’s sugar, there’s rum! 🙂
It’s strange that it’s not exported more, though. It was always around so much in Australian bars that I used to assume it was more famous internationally than it actually is.
Mike |
Just discovered Bundy in my local liquor store in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. Stoked!!
Michael Turtle |
Ha ha! Great to know that it’s spreading all across the world!! 🙂