Sydney Rum Distillery Plans to Be at the Top of the Global Rum Market

Published by
Emily Cruz Villegas

The rum market in Australia is developing fast while producing high-quality sugarcane spirits. Today, a lot of creativity and innovation is happening as there are many world-class distillers in the country.

Despite the fact that the two-year-age statement rule for rum is becoming more of a restraint on the local industry, especially in the start-up phase, many distilleries are doing an excellent job by improving product quality and maintaining consistency in rum manufacturing. The Sydney Rum Distillery is one of them. The sustainable company has designed the state of the art to incorporate innovative techniques. 

In 2015, the company’s founders, David Ward and Chris Middleton, saw the chance to give people a new way to drink that takes advantage of Australia’s unique botanicals. Their goal has always been to combine artisanal work with a large production capacity that can meet demand around the world.

In this sense, the distillery plans to project Australian rum globally and grow the company through acquisitions. Their goal is to be among the top global rums by volume, although they will focus first on quality.

Sydney Rum Distillery’s rums are made with locally sourced sugarcane and blended with local botanicals and fruits to create a new drinking experience. Currently, they are developing their first brand with a broader South Pacific and Asia Pacific focus. This will be a blended product to showcase them as a non-traditional rum-producing company. 

They are also planning to build the biggest rum distillery Australia has seen in a century, with three-column stills and a hybrid pot still. They will also have their maturation facilities in-house. One of the founders’ objectives is to make more than one million liters of alcohol annually. 

In addition, as they are interested in going global, they aim to develop a bottling network in Europe, the UK, and the US. Sydney Rum Distillery is set for the international market. It plans to export about 80% of the bottled rum produced at its facilities. The company forecasts that Europe and the UK will account for more than 50% of its bottled rum exports.

This is how they have embarked on a disciplined and ambitious plan to capitalize on the worldwide growth in the rum category, along with satisfying the consumer appetite for premium spirits and curiosity for ‘the new’ and brands with solid provenance: “Australian rum made with Australian sugar cane.”

Furthermore, Cargo Cult, a small-batch spiced rum brand, joined the Sydney Rum Distillery portfolio in 2022. They announced this acquisition as part of their “House of Australian Rum” portfolio. Cargo Cult currently offers the Dry Spiced Rum and the Banana Spiced Rum. The spirits are sourced from South Pacific distilleries before being blended and spiced in Australia.

Another important announcement was that, in 2024, they plan to release “Natural Born,” a 100% Australian rum that will offer a premium drinking experience. This will be ideal for both connoisseurs’ and exploratory rum drinkers’ palates. They are also working on a well-balanced collection of Asia-Pacific rums infused with unique native Australian botanicals.

Sydney Rum Distillery is dedicated to putting the irrepressible spirit of Australia into their rum and their consumers’ lives. They aim to deliver an outstanding drinking experience by maturing and producing premium Australian rums. They strive to break outdated norms of rum production with integrity, innovation, and Australian ingenuity, keeping a sustainable approach at the heart of their operations.


Featured Image Source: Business News Australia

Emily Cruz Villegas

Content Director at The RumLab || She is a Journalist & Ghostwriter from Caracas-Venezuela, with more than six years of experience in Academic Research. She also has a postgraduate education in International Relations and a Master's Degree in Public Management. In the last few years, she has been working in sales and digital marketing.

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