On the last Saturday of October every year we raise our glass to the unmistakable taste of Queensland and the incredible Queensland Rum producers using Queensland sugar cane to create liquid gold. The annual celebration of the much loved spirit of Queensland all over Australia and the World.
Since 1906 “Queensland Rum” is defined by Australian law as a spirit of at least 37% ABV obtained by the distillation in Queensland and maturation in Queensland by storage in wood for at least 2 years of a fermented liquor derived from the products of sugar cane, being distillation carried out in such a manner that the spirit possesses the taste, aroma and other characteristics generally attributed to rum. Queensland Rum is most commonly made from molasses but can also be made from sugar cane juice, sugar cane syrup and sugar.
“ Queensland spirits are equal to the very best in the World and Queensland distillers offers the opportunity for spirits to be to Queensland what wine is to South Australia, an export and job creation power house
Since July 1867 rum distilled from Queensland sugar cane is to many Australian’s the definitive taste of Queensland but as consumers preferences and education are evolving so is Queensland rum. Queensland rum producers are sparing no effort to produce and mature rums that challenge long held beliefs that imported rums are always better. The Queensland Rum Renaissance is well and truly a thing! ”
Sugarcane was brought to Australia in 1788 on the ships of the First Fleet. It was not immediately successful even though attempts were still being made more than thirty years later to grow sugarcane commercially at Port Macquarie in NSW. Captain Louis Hope and John Buhot established the first viable Australian cane plantation at Ormiston near Brisbane in 1862. Two years later Hope started up the first commercial sugar mill.
Queensland proudly has Australia’s oldest distillery - Beenleigh Rum, the largest - Bundaberg Rum, and a growing number of incredible Artisan producers including Nil Desperandum, producing Australia’s first Australian Certified Organic Rum, and household names including Burdekin Rum, Capricorn Distilling, FNQ Rum Co, Kalki Moon and Sarina Sugar Shed.
Distillation of rum in Queensland commenced on the 23rd of July 1867.
In April 1869 the newly appointed Chief Inspector of Distilleries tabled before Parliament that there were six licensed rum distilleries at work in Queensland, and a total of 270,000 litres of rum had been produced (at 40% ABV).
Today Queensland Rum is Australia’s most popular rum and over three million bottles of Queensland Rum are sold every year.
Claudius Buchanan Whish & John Raymond Trevilian
George Raff
John Meiklejohn
George Board
John Davidson
Louis Hope
