Drinking in the national spirit

"I FELL in love with Bundy when I added it to me beer as a kid," says 43-year-old Bill, one of the true believers on my tour of the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, the home of our only national spirit. "To be a dinkum Aussie, ya gotta love Bundy," he adds matter-of-factly.

Bill and patriotic aficionados like him are expected to make the pilgrimage here at some time in their lives. There must be a lot of them, too - tours run every hour, six times a day with up to 50 guests each time at $25 a pop.

There are 31 visitors on my tour at 11 o'clock on a Tuesday morning and while most are rusted-on Bundy-heads dressed like they're headed for an AC/DC concert, there are quite a few non-tattooed folk, a few women in their 70s and a handful of Chinese tourists looking bewildered, despite the tour notes in Mandarin.

Bundaberg, 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, was established on its ability to grow sugar cane; the surplus byproduct of molasses led to the logical next step: turning it into rum. The first barrel of Bundy rolled out of the distillery in 1888 and the eponymous Bundy R Bear made its debut as the company mascot in 1961.

Nothing flammable or battery-powered is allowed on the tour and once you get a whiff of the alcohol in the air you understand why. The staff confiscate watches, phones and cameras and even take my notebook and pen for some reason. In the 110 years the distillery has been on this site, it has burnt down several times. The insurance premium must be hefty.

Our enthusiastic guides, Helen and Bill, herd us along a platform overlooking the molasses storage tanks, which hold about two Olympic pools worth of the sugary brown goo, before we "enjoy" a sample of sludge on a pop stick. It tastes every bit as good as it looks. Helen explains each step of the process with proud fervour and is heard in reverent silence. We head past the fermenting tanks, pot stills and the 75,000-litre maturation vats but are not allowed in the storage warehouse, where 290 vats hold the equivalent of 6 million standard drinks. We are permitted to stick our heads in the door and the heady aroma is a reminder of hangovers past.

The tour concludes with two free tastings in the bar and I go for the Reserve, a 40 per cent proof offering that curls my nose hairs well before the glass reaches my lips, and the new Bundy Crisp, pre-mixed with soda and lime.

The gift shop is the highlight, with every kitschy Bundy-themed knick-knack imaginable, including pyjamas, "gourmet" ice-cream, thongs, rugby balls, shot glasses, drip trays, bar mats, dart boards and, best of all, the supremely tasteful stubby holder featuring Bundy Bear and two mates standing at a urinal. To this day it brings a patriotic tear to my eye every time I take a swig and see those proud Aussie boys having a wee together. Cheers, mates.

- Sun-Herald