Burdekin Distillery brings the botanicals of North Queensland to Australian shelves with the launch of its range of locally crafted rums, designed by drinks branding specialists Denomination.
The company says its rums are a premium Australian spirit, made from locally sourced sugar cane and spring mineral water from nearby Mount Elliot. It says the designs made by Denomination reflect the diversity and beauty of North Queensland’s landscape and wildlife, disrupting traditional ideas about how rum should look, feel and taste. Denomination told PKN that its label design is printed by Hally Labels (which is now part of MCC), and the bottles are produced by Saverglass.
“Burdekin is a fresh take on Australian rum, inspired by the beauty of tropical North Queensland and the packaging needed to reflect that. This is why we enlisted Denomination, who demonstrated a deep understanding of our vision as well as the credentials in their existing beautiful and unique design portfolio.
“Burdekin is different from your everyday rum, and this design breaks away from long-established norms in the rum category,” said Tim Lamb from Burdekin Distillery. Jason Chan head distiller added, “What the team have created is a brand that reflects the region and the locally-sourced ingredients we use, as well as our values of sustainability, community and authenticity.”
A rum renaissance
Burdekin says its rum is a world away from the sweet rums of yesteryear that were common in Australia, typically made from molasses rather than cane juice, and mixed with cola. These rums were often branded with a masculine tone and feel, or played on the age-old rum tropes of pirates and the British navy. Instead, Denomination has highlighted Burdekin’s home in tropical North Queensland, celebrating the locally sourced ingredients and the craftmanship that goes into creating each rum.
With the craft rum market anticipating growth of 5.5 per cent until 2031 (according to market research), Denomination says its design reflects a desire for change in the category, with consumers seeking rums with more interesting and sophisticated palettes, and a focus on provenance and pride of place.
The beauty of the tropics
A spokesperson for Denomination told PKN that the brief it was given "was to create an elegant, refined brand that reflected the terroir, the beauty and botanicals of North Queensland, thereby disrupting the rum retail shelves. They also needed for the design to be seen as a credible and sophisticated Australian premium craft rum brand. Finally, the brand had to feel inclusive and engaging, inviting exploration."
Denomination worked with a young emerging Australian artist, Bridget Earner, to bring the illustrations to life. The colours used reflect those found in North Queensland’s rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the complex, bright and aromatic flavours of each rum.
The company further explained to PKN that its solution was “to bring to life the tropical beauty of its home in North Queensland by creating a lush, dense illustration of flora and fauna of the region. Using the deep rich colours of the lush rainforests of Burdekin area, each spirit has a different illustration featuring the locally popular Masked Bower Bird and the Common Green Tree Snake of the Tropics. The proportions of the animals and flora are deliberately distorted creating an intriguing and eye-catching image.”
“We have created a design that showcases Burdekin Rum’s distinctive taste, which is drawn from the landscape of the region. Burdekin disrupts everything consumers have come to expect from a rum: it is modern yet delicate and distinctive. This rum is a window into the paradise of North Queensland,” said Rowena Curlewis, CEO of Denomination.
