Bayside Rum: A 100% New Zealand Rum Made from Kūmara

Bayside Rum is one of the start-up companies that is getting recognition in the New Zealand rum market due to its modern techniques. It was founded in 2021 by husband and wife Egor Petrov and Anna Saveleva. Petrov has been working in the industry as a bartender for around 14 years.

The new company is developing a distinctly Kiwi style of rum using a special kūmara (sweet potato) fermentation starter they have developed themselves. This is the first New Zealand-made rum produced in a New Zealand-made copper pot still and rested in New Zealand ex-wine barrels. 

Bayside Rum was inspired by one of the oldest sugarcane spirits, Batavia Arrack from Indonesia, which uses fermenting red rice cakes with the yeast of freshly pressed sugarcane juice and is then again fermented and distilled into a rum. The company uses kumara mash instead of rice cakes, which lets the yeast colony develop and then adds that to molasses during fermentation. 

Three Moons Rum, their first release, is made from 100% black strap molasses using their kūmara fermentation starter, distilled twice in a Kiwi-made pot still, and rested in ex-Pinot Noir barrels for three months. The spirit features notes of tropical fruits, floral accents, cooked red fruit, toasted chestnut, and a touch of apple cider vinegar. It is finally bottled at 42% ABV.

The launch of this rum in 2022 was a success. The company sold out the product within five months, winning a silver medal at the New Zealand Spirits Awards, and establishing a strong retail presence across the country.

To date, it has produced over a thousand bottles and is available in about 30 bars and restaurants and 15 liquor stores. For instance, it is sold in all of Ben Bayly’s restaurants, including the South Island venue the Blue Door, focusing on on-site hospitality sales and bottle sales through its website.

Currently, they are running a PledgeMe campaign to establish supply-chain continuity and collect the necessary budget in order to launch their single-barrel partnership program. For more information about the campaign, you can visit their official website.

The start-up company is also in production for its first spiced rum, “Bayside Sugar & Spice Rum.” It will be made with 100% natural and high-quality ingredients, such as sweet orange peel, vanilla, cocoa, chai, and horopito. The rum will be rested in American oak barrels sourced in New Zealand, which will lend notes of toasted wood and further complement the spirit’s vanilla and warm spice notes. 

Bayside Rum also plans to work on some partnerships, including collaborating with local cider company Bohemian Cider to produce a rum with cider. It would also create a botanical rum in collaboration with Ben Bayly and other chefs to release as limited edition products.

Featured image source: Bayside Rum. Facebook. (March 16, 2023).