# Bundaberg Rum - do you know it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048 "2008-11-16T23:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/1 "2008-11-16T23:17:43Z")
Basically I’m hoping to find out if you’ve ever heard of ‘Bundaberg Rum’. It’s a brand of dark rum manufactured in Australia. Logo and ‘mascot’ is a polar bear :dubious: [No. I don’t know why!] I recently heard a claim of the rum being ‘world famous’, which I found highly dubious, but I’m not particularly well travelled to be able to determine the veracity of that claim. So there’s dopers from all over the world, and I was hoping for some assistance in gathering some anecedotal evidence about Bundy Rum being ‘world famous’? [This seemed to be a General Questions kind of thing, a factual answer and all that, but feel free to move it if necessary] ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/2 "2008-11-16T23:31:41Z")
I’d be surprised if it wasn’t actually known - I’ve seen it referenced in cocktail books and such - but ‘famous’ might be stretching it, I’d think. Being an Aussie like yourself, my experience of it is that it’s everywhere (and have you noticed that Bundaberg sugar has taken over in cafes? I don’t see CSR anymore) … but I don’t recall whether I actually saw Bundy for sale when I was overseas. Maybe it’s world-famous among rum makers? It’s probably a tight enough clique that this’d be true. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/3 "2008-11-16T23:38:49Z")
I know it only because my husband’s Australian. I’ve never seen it for sale in the U.S., and I typically keep an eye out for Australian brands because my husband likes things from home every once in awhile. I have had it in the U.S. - at the Australian Embassy in D.C. when we attended the dawn service for ANZAC Day. Someone came up to me and dumped a bunch of it into my coffee. So, if they’re saying it’s world famous, they’re not referring to this part of the world :). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/4 "2008-11-16T23:48:36Z")
What about Bundaberg Ginger Beer? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/5 "2008-11-16T23:50:53Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What about Bundaberg Ginger Beer? That’s available in the U.S. I know they sell it in World Market and I’ve seen it in various other specialty shops. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/6 "2008-11-17T00:20:11Z")
I’ve never heard of it, and rum is my favourite drink. I checked and the LCBO (government liquor stores which sell about 95% of booze in Ontario) doesn’t carry it, so not likely to find it here. Googling shows it for sale as a premium rum elsewhere in the country, however. ---
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/7 "2008-11-17T00:35:35Z")
I’ve heard of it. Its made in, you guessed it, [Bundaberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundaberg). I’ve tried it and thought it tasted like shit. This is the heart of sugar cane country in Queensland. It would be stupid to think there wouldn’t be a major rum producer in such a place but its no guarantee of quality. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/8 "2008-11-17T00:54:54Z")
I don’t know anything about Bundy’s international profile, but I found this titbit about the logo. > [@Wikipedia](#): > > In 1961, the company introduced the polar bear as its unusual choice of mascot, to imply that the rum could ward off the coldest chill. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/9 "2008-11-17T03:20:03Z")
I’ve heard of it… but only when I was in Australia. (Canadian.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/10 "2008-11-17T03:22:22Z")
I’ve heard of it, but then, I’ve been to Australia a few times. That might explain my surprise when I once saw it behind a bar here in Canada once. Note I said, “once”; this was a bar that prided itself on having more different spirits and beers than anyplace else in town, or maybe the country. But I recognized it, because I knew it from Australia. As for “world famous,” I’d have to disagree. I’ve never seen it in a liquor store here in Canada (in a number of provinces), nor have I ever seen it advertised here. I’ve only seen the one bottle behind that well-stocked bar. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/11 "2008-11-17T03:24:06Z")
It should be world famous for the craptitude of its ads. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/12 "2008-11-17T03:37:22Z")
> [@solkoe](#): > > I’ve heard of it. Its made in, you guessed it, [Bundaberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundaberg). I’ve tried it and thought it tasted like shit. Sure you didn’t have it confused with [Underberg](http://www.germandeli.com/788754024205.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/13 "2008-11-17T05:53:15Z")
Not world famous to this Northeastern US barfly. I did enjoy the OP (overproof) Rum and Ginger Beer while traveling in Australia however. I had never seen or heard of Bundaberg Rum or Ginger Beer in the US. ---
**Author:** ![vintageloveletter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@vintageloveletter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vintageloveletter)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/14 "2008-11-17T06:16:36Z")
Bundi and Coke was my drink of choice while living in Australia. I’m familiar with Bundaberg ginger beer as well. I haven’t seen either since I’ve returned to the states. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/15 "2008-11-17T07:41:20Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What about Bundaberg Ginger Beer? Another Bunderberg Ginger Beer fan here. Damn I like that stuff. Si ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/16 "2008-11-17T08:05:37Z")
I’ve had Bundaberg Root Beer and Ginger Beer, but never rum. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/17 "2008-11-17T08:30:04Z")
> [@Kevin Bloody Wilson](#): > > Hughie, me and Billy, gettin’ pissed and actin’ silly, drinkin’ Bundy straight out of the spout… Yup, heard of it just about the once, thanks to the pottymouth quoted above. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/18 "2008-11-17T10:42:00Z")
“Them bears sure know how to have a good time” ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/19 "2008-11-17T10:51:19Z")
I’ve heard of it, because I bought some Bundaberg Rum Fudge from a candy store in Singapore a few weeks ago. It was exquisite. The only thing that kept me from eating more than 1 (well…maybe 2) pieces at a time was realizing I would later regret the richness hanging out in my stomach. And I am not a big fan of sweets, so that’s saying a lot. Next time I go to Singapore, I’m buying several canisters. And if I happen to see the rum, I’ll get that too. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048/20 "2008-11-17T10:54:29Z")
I’ve heard of it, as its my drink of choice, but as I’m from Brisbane this shouldn’t be too much of a shock. World famous, I think this is a bit of an exaggeration. IIRC the polar bear was from an advertising campaign and it just stuck. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bundaberg-rum-do-you-know-it/473048.md?page=2)