Inner Circle Rum was once the exclusive preserve of Australia’s Colonial Sugar Refining Company’s board of directors and a handful of its prized clients. Even they were only entitled to the occasional bottle.
Despite its limited availability, word of Inner Circle’s unique flavour became legendary – whispered amongst rum enthusiasts the world over.
After some years, Inner Circle is now fully Australian-owned and operated again. It is produced at the Beenleigh Artisan Distillery using traditional Pot Stills, keeping in line with how it was once produced by CSR from 1855-1986.
It is now produced for all to enjoy, and the excited whispering about this incredible Rum has begun anew.
Welcome to the Inner Circle.
1855 - The Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) established sugar refineries in Australia & New Zealand
1873 - CSR established Harwood distillery on the Clarence River, NSW.
1901 - CSR sets up a distillery in Pyrmont, Sydney to produce pot distilled rum.
1950 - ICR won its first Gold medal at the Sydney agricultural show, the first of many awards both local & international.
1968 - ICR was released to the Australian market and immediately created a cult following. It was released as three variants; underproof, overproof & 33% overproof, easily distinguished by its red dot, green dot and black dot on the label.
1986 - CSR sells the brand leading to it being removed from the market- Inner Circle Rum is effectively retired. It is to change ownership several times over the next 25 years
2012 – Vok Beverages purchase the trademark and Inner Circle Rum is once again both Australian owned and produced
Shake and Strain
Serve – Highball
40ml 30ml Inner Circle Black Cask Strength Rum
3 Cloves
2 Mint sprigs
Bickford and Son’s Tonic Water
Light and place smoking cloves in bottom of glass and cover with dome
Add rum and 1 mint sprig to shaker and shake with ice
Fill glass with ice and strain drink into smoked glass leaving cloves underneath ice for smoky warmth
Top with Bickford and Son’s Tonic Water
Garnish – Mint Sprig
Serve – Tall glass
30ml Inner Circle Green Navy Strength Rum
1 Lemon round
3 pitted Dark Cherries
1 dash Grapefruit Bitters
Honey to drizzle
45ml Hot Water
Cinnamon Stick
Smoke Cinnamon and cover with upside down glass (to catch smoke)
Shake Rum, Grapefruit Bitters, ½ lemon round and cherries with ice
Lightly drizzle honey around inside wall of glass
Strain drink into smoked and honeyed glass
Top with 45ml hot water
Stir with flamed cinnamon stick and light again to leave smoking in
Garnish – Lemon round
Serve – Short glass
30ml Inner Circle Green Navy Strength Rum
1/2 Lime round
6 raspberries
2 Thyme Sprigs
Add Rum, lime, 4 raspberries and a fresh thyme sprig to shaker
Shake well with ice
Strain into glass
Add thyme to glass, light the top of sprig
Put a dome over top to smoke drink until dome fills with smoke
Garnish – remaining raspberries
Serve – Double rocks
30ml Inner Circle Black Cask Strength Rum
10ml Galway Tawny Port Dash of Angostura Bitters
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 rosemary sprigs
Smoke Rosemary and cover with upside down glass (to catch smoke)
Add Rum, Port, Bitters and fresh Rosemary sprig to a shaker
Shake well with ice
Garnish – Smoking rosemary
Serve – Double Rocks
30ml Inner Circle Black Cask Strength Rum
10ml Galway Tawny Port Dash of Angostura Bitters
3 dashes Orange Bitters
Dress dashes of orange bitters around inside walls of glass and ice cube
Add Rum and Port to glass
Squeeze Orange Zest over drink
Flame zest, rim glass and gently stir burned zest/rind into drink for warm smoky orange flavour
Garnish – Flamed orange zest
Serve – Double Rocks
Silver Medal, San Francisco Wine & Spirit Competition 2012
Silver Medal, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2012
Bronze Medal, San Francisco Wine & Spirits 2014
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014.
Shake
Dry shake to dissolve the maple syrup
Serve- Highball
Garnish – Apple slice and a few of Beenleigh Rum soaked raisins
Shake and strain
Serve – Brandy Balloon
Garnish – Sprinkle of nutmeg
Stir in mixing glass
Strain over block ice
Serve – Double Rocks
Creator
Ingredients
Glass
Wine Glass
Method
Dry shake then shake with ice.
Garnish
Flamed Nutmeg
Creator
Ingredients
Glass
Coupe
Method
Using smoking chips smoke glass, leave over chips while making cocktail
Muddle pineapple, add all ingredients dry
Shake!
Add ice and shake cocktail, double strain in smoked glass!
Garnish
Orange buttered garnish!
Creator
Ingredients
Glass
Crystal cut coupe
Method
All ingredients stirred over ice and double strained into glass. Squeeze orange cheek over strained cocktail to release oils on surface of cocktail. Add orange twist to rim of glass.
Garnish
Orange twist, orange oil squeezed from peel over drink, floating star anise.
Creator
Ingredients
Glass
Small Handle (pot size)
Method
Stud one wheel of lemon with cloves
Place in glass
Pour 45ml Beenleigh Honey Rum
Pour 15ml Ginger Syrup
Add Hot water to taste, aprox 60ml
Stir and serve with Cinnamon Stick
Creator
Ingredients
Glass
Crystal cut double rocks glass
Method
Stir down in a mixing glass and strain into ice filled glass, lemon spritz then discard.
Garnish
Garnish with a Lemon Zest Twist.
Creator
Ingredients
Glass
Double Rocks/Old Fashioned, Crystal Cut look is good for this drink
Method
Dry shake all ingredients to emulsify the egg white and honey. Add ice, then wet shake.
Garnish
Drizzle of the honey and dehydrated raspberry to top off.
Trophy, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Gold Medal, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Gold Medal, Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards 2014
Bronze Medal, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2014
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Trophy
Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Gold Medal
Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Gold Medal
Beverage Tasting Institute – Spirit Category (Chicago) 2015
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016
Bronze Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017
Bronze medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2017 Silver Medal
WSWA Wine and Spirits Tasting Awards 2017 Silver Medal
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017 Gold Medal
New York International Spirits Competiton 2017
Silver Medal, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Silver Medal, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2014
Silver Medal, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014
Bronze medal, RASV Aust Distilled Spirits Awards 2015
Bronze medal RASV Aust Distilled Spirits Awards 2015
Bronze medal, Royal Melbourne Show 2015 Double Gold, Melbourne International Spirit Competition 2015
Silver Medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2016
Silver Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017
Silver Medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2017 Best In Show, WSWA Wine and Spirits Tasting Awards 2017
Double Gold, WSWA Wine and Spirits Tasting Awards 2017
Silver Outstanding Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Silver Medal, New York International Spirits Competiton 2017.
Bronze Medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2017
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Silver Medal, New York International Spirits Competition 2017.
Silver Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017
Bronze medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2017
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Silver Medal, New York International Spirits Competiton 2017
Silver Medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2016
Silver Medal, San Fransisco World Spirits Competiton 2016
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016
Silver Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Silver Medal, New York International Spirits Competiton 2017.
Silver Medal, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2014
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014
Silver Medal, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
Bronze Medal, Melbourne International Spirit Competition 2015
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
Silver Medal, San Fransisco World Spirits Competiton 2016
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016
Gold Medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2017
Best Flavoured Rum – Australia, World Spirits Award 2017.
Trophy, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Gold Medal, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Gold Medal, Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards 2014
Bronze Medal, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2014
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Trophy
Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Gold Medal
Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Gold Medal
Beverage Tasting Institute – Spirit Category (Chicago) 2015 Bronze Medal
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016
Bronze Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017
Bronze medal, Australian Distilled Awards 2017
Silver Medal WSWA Wine and Spirits Tasting Awards 2017
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Gold Medal, New York International Spirits Competiton 2017