BEENLEIGH ARTISAN DISTILLERY

Welcome To Australia’s Oldest Operating Distillery

Let your tastebuds be tantalised and your senses be satiated when you visit the iconic Beenleigh Artisan Distillery, Australia’s oldest operating distillery. 

Be transported back in time and observe the 140-year evolution of this pioneering producer, on an immersive journey into the heart of the rum-making process. Join your expert guide for an informative and enlightening behind-the-scenes tour offering rare insights and an immersive sensory experience of the intricate distilling process. 

A fully guided tour of the Beenleigh Artisan Distillery typically takes between 30 – 45 minutes. Tours are capped at 20 visitors per tour to ensure an authentic and intimate experience. On completion of the tour, guests can choose to enjoy a tasting of their preferred tipple. In every drop, experience the toasted caramel warmth of Queensland sunshine, distilled and aged with skill, passion and patience.  Indulge in a delicious lunch at the onsite restaurant, where exceptional rum is perfectly accompanied by delectable cuisine that also incorporates the distillery’s rum in the items, setting the scene for long lazy lunches and extended sampling sessions. 

Come and discover a true taste of Brisbane’s craftsmanship, innovation and locally produced rum at Beenleigh Artisan Distillery. 

The Visitor Centre

The starting point of your immersive, fully guided tour of Beenleigh Artisan Distillery is the visitor centre, or main bar area. When you arrive, you will be personally welcomed by your friendly and informative tour guide. You will be required to fill out a short form, and your guide will run through some safety procedures with the group before commencing the tour. 

You will then be guided through the chronicles of history that have defined Beenleigh Rum. Your tour guide will use the ‘museum history wall’ to talk you through the distillery’s unique and engaging past, providing fascinating insights into how Beenleigh Distillery became Australia’s oldest registered and still continuing rum distillery. You will learn about how the land, that was initially used for cotton farming back in the 1860s, became a thriving sugar cane plantation, and how it then evolved to fulfil the purpose for which it is now used today – distilling rum. You’ll discover fascinating facts including that Beenleigh Artisan Distillery was creating Australia’s oldest original rum, even before Coca Cola was invented! You’ll learn about the distillery’s founders, and how they became experts in the craft of creating the rum that we all know and love today. Like any good Aussie yarn, the tale of Beenleigh Artisan Distillery is filled with unexpected twists and turns, colourful characters, and above all, a heritage as rich as and distinctive as Beenleigh Rum itself. Its tale is a testament to the bold Australian enterprise, proud pioneering spirit and the legends who make it happen. As you depart for the Big Red Shed, you’ll feel educated and inspired as your tour continues.

Big Red Shed

Departing the Visitor Centre, you’ll walk out past our four, 70,000 litre silver holding vats to the left and at the back of the distillery. One of these holds our molasses. A pipe above the vats transfers the liquids into the distillery.

Then you’ll enter the Big Red Shed – an iconic, heritage-listed distillery space where the boiler is located. The tour guide will stop at the boiler and will begin to explain the rum making process. You’ll learn fascinating facts you probably never knew. We’ll try not to give too much away here – but for example, did you know there are only three ingredients required to make rum, and only three steps in the process? The key ingredient of rum is called molasses. Beenleigh Distillery procures their molasses from Rocky Point Sugar Mill, which is approximately 20 kilometres from the distillery. Established in 1879 and owed by the Heck family for 5 generations, Rocky Point Sugar Mill is the only privately owned mill in Australia

You will be able to start to smell the sweet waft of the molasses as you enter the Big Red Shed. 

Once inside the shed, you can climb approximately 15 steps, which lead you to a walkway at the top of the eight large silver vats and the beginning of the fermentation process. First is our two clarifier vats on either side of you, followed by three fermentations vats on both the left- and right-hand side. 

Below you, on the shed floor, distillers are busy making the magic happen, as they carefully oversee the delicate fermentation phase of production. At the top of the stairs, you will be greeted by the incredible sound of 35000 litres of bubbling molasses, yeast and water. This is truly a multi-sensory experience, as in addition to the bubbling sound, your senses will be soothed by the divine smell of fudge, honey and vanilla. It’s enough to make your mouth water in anticipation of a spirited sampling on your return to the Visitor Centre.

The Copper Pots

Along with vats that resemble giant mixing bowls and column stills that stretch towards the high ceilings, the Red Shed also houses a series of copper pots, which are an essential element of the distillation phase. 

A highlight here is the original copper pot which began our rum making here in 1884. It was used up until the 1970s. Some parts have been replaced over time, but the core remains the original copper pot found by Davy and Gooding.

 The original copper pot sits across from the copper pot we use today. It is a nostalgic centrepiece and serves as a reminder of our humble beginnings.

This original copper pot sits alongside the copper pot that is used today. Although no longer used, it is still a sight to behold. It most closely resembles a giant barrel. It has a pipe coming out of the top which bends to the right. At the top of the pipe is the distilling barrel. The old copper pot is about the size of a small car! As you will be on the upper level, viewing the copper pots from above, this limits the opportunity for visitors to actually explore these grand structures. There is a safety railing which prevents guests from falling as they stand close to the edge to view the copper pots.

As you stand admiring the gleaming copper giants, your guide will enlighten you with an explanation of how the rum is then cut into what’s known as heads, hearts and tails, and how each element is used or ingeniously repurposed to eliminate waste. 

White Rum Room

You will then be taken back down to the ground level. As you descend, your tour guide will point out some markers on the walls that signify the flood waters and how high the water rose in various flood events over the years. Given the distillery’s proximity to the Albert and Logan Rivers, floods have been an important part of its history. In 1887, the distillery lost around 32,000 litres of rum due to flood waters! 

When you arrive back on the ground level, your tour guide will take you through to the 'White Rum' Room. This building took over three years to build and was specially engineered to withstand the most severe floodwaters. In the White Rum Room, you will find four 150-year-old vats created from New Zealand kauri pine. These trees are listed as protected and these vats can no longer be replaced. Incredibly, they are meticulously crafted without the need of glue or nails! 

And in the next room you’ll encounter eight, over 100-year-old vats, also made from  New Zealand kauri pine. The difference is that these vats incorporate the use of nuts and bolts on the band that hold the vat together, to allow adjustments to be made if need be.

Your tour guide will explain more about the history behind these vats, and how they are a critical component to developing the unique and prized character of the company’s celebrated white spirit range, which you’ll be pleased to know is also available for tasting back at the bar area.

Grand Barrel Hall

After leaving the 'White Rum' Room, you will be guided outside, where you will pass the Albert River enroute to your next stop on the tour. Your tour guide will point out the river, which is narrow but very deep. Before the main roads and highways were constructed in the area, the Albert River was the main thoroughfare to the ocean, providing the distillery with very convenient access to distribution channels. 

Guests are then required to walk approximately 150 meters to our 'Grand Barrel Hall' where all the distillery’s award-winning rums are aged to perfection. The room is lined from floor to ceiling with barrels made primarily of American oak. To the left are the ex-brandy barrels, which are 60 years old and have a capacity of 55,000 litres. These vats are a rich brown raw wood colour. To the right are the ex-bourbon barrels. As these barrels are only previously used once, they are a light raw wood colour. 

These barrels are used to infuse Beenleigh Rum with the beautiful signature flavours. At the back of the room are the distillery’s newest three American Oak vats, each with a capacity of 70,000 litres and lovingly referred to as the ‘family of giants’, capable of holding a massive 70,000 litres of spirit. There is also a collection of French oak barrels here, used to produce a rich, port-style rum. These stand out due to their dark grey colour, compared to the rest of the room being raw wood. 

While in the Barrel Room, take a moment to stop and inhale a rich bouquet of scents that surround you. Each year, around 2 to 5 per cent of rum is lost in evaporation, which is charmingly referred to as the ‘Angel Share’. Characterised by the warmth of wood and the sweet scent of the maturing spirits, the wafting aroma provides an enticing hint of the fine flavours you can expect to enjoy once the spirit is carefully aged to its heavenly best.  Guests are welcome to touch the barrels and note the different numbers marked on the wood, recording the unique journey of the rum contained within. 

Tastings

After your tour, you may choose to indulge in an optional tasting session, which can be purchased in addition to the tour. Beenleigh Distillery offers several different tastings to choose from. If you don’t drink alcohol or have landed the job of designated driver, don’t despair! There’s even a cordial tasting option you can enjoy. 

Guests who select the rum tasting will be treated to five different samples from the classic rum range. If you’re not a rum drinker, you may instead choose to sample a vodka or gin tasting from Beenleigh Rum’s sister company, 23rd Street. Palate liberator tastings include two vodkas, one gin, a brandy and a hybrid whisky; or Heart and Soul tastings include three gins. Our other tasting options are tequilas (including 4 types) or one for the beer aficionado (including five beers). With so many options, there’ll be something to satisfy every palate. Tastings can be enjoyed either in the main bar area in the visitor centre, or in the restaurant alongside a leisurely lunch.

Distillery Restaurant

The Beenleigh Distillery restaurant is a culinary haven which promises an exceptional experience where delectable cuisine and excellent rum come together to create the perfect afternoon or evening. 

The restaurant is open seven days for lunch, and on Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner. If you want to take your tasting to the next level, why not sample one of the incredible cocktails on offer? The extensive cocktail menu features either one of the distillery’s own rums or a spirit from one of their sister companies as a base, perfectly paired with complementary ingredients that will go down a treat. The food and drink menus for the distillery restaurant are available online in a downloadable PDF. The extensive menu features a variety of tasty entrees and burgers, salads, steaks, seafood, pastas and pizzas. Beenleigh Distillery certainly serves up a fine feast for the senses!

Accessibility

Beenleigh Artisan Distillery is in the Brisbane suburb of Beenleigh, approximately 40 minutes south of the city centre, at 142 Distillery Road, Eagleby. For guests who are self-driving, there are accessible parking spaces located approximately 20 metres from the main bar area, or visitor centre, which is the starting point of the guided distillery tour.

For guests relying on public transport, Beenleigh train station is approximately a one kilometre walk from Beenleigh Distillery. Buses currently only stop on the opposite side of the highway to the distillery. However, taxis and ride share services are readily available in the area. 

Most areas of the venue, including the restaurant and visitor centre, are wheelchair accessible. However, please note that some elements of the tour are only accessible via stairs to the upper level. Accessible bathroom facilities with braille signage are available in the main visitor centre.

Service dogs are welcome at the distillery.  Grassy areas suitable for toileting your service dog can be located outside the building near the parking area. Distillery tours visit production areas and include obstacles as to be expected within a working distillery. Please advise on arrival, or when booking, if you have any access needs or mobility restrictions.

Please note that all visitors under 18 years of age must be always accompanied by a responsible adult. It is a health and safety requirement that all guests must wear enclosed shoes and must not consume alcohol prior to the tour. Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time.