discover. dare. delight.
Before we had even moved back to the farm, we often used to wonder about the possibilities of making rum from sugarcane. Then on a trip to Mauritius, we got to experience Rhum Agricole for the first time; we were blown away by how different it was from the mass-produced rums one usually encounters. We were hooked, and knew we had to pursue our own dreams of producing world-class Agricole Rum in South Africa!
This is a love story. A love of family; a love of hospitality; pure passion and an insistence on quality.
Brad and Marisa O’Neill are the heart, the soul and, of course, the spirit of Sugar Baron Signature Craft Rum. Brad grew up on a sugarcane farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and studied in Stellenbosch where he met Marisa, a city girl from Cape Town and the eventual keeper of Brad’s heart. Brad then made the natural move into the wine industry while Marisa thrived in the hospitality industry.
This passionate, vibrant couple is Sugar Baron Single Estate Craft Rum; as are their gorgeous children – for Sugar Baron is all about family, fun and a little fermentation.
The brand is a tribute, hauntingly beautiful, to Roger O’Neill’s legacy in loving memory of a father lost entirely too soon. While Brad and Marisa often mused over the idea of making rum with sugarcane – from the safe distance of Cape Town – it was only when Brad returned to take over Seafield Farm, that dreams started to condense and, in 2018, this daunting, exciting, impassioned plunge became a reality.
This is a love story, a one-act play, where the entire plot plays out from field to glass.
THE SUGAR BARON FAMILY
The Team
It is the people that count. From managing the farm, harvesting the cane and extracting the fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, through to distillation and bottling, our people are all equally dedicated to their specific craft. Team Sugar Baron continues to grow, with new team members in various capacities joining the company to support the vision and success of Sugar Baron.
The Journey
A RETURN TO SEAFIELD FARM
Brad and Marisa return to the Seafield Farm from Cape Town after the death of Brad’s Father, Roger O’Neill, to take over the sugarcane farming operations.
2010
OUR INSPIRATION
After much talk and deliberation about how and when to pursue their dream of making rum from the sugarcane grown on Seafield Farm, Brad and Marisa take a trip to Cape Town, and encounter a pictogram of ‘How to Make Mauritian Rum’ on the cover of the in-flight magazine – this was their sign to get serious about turning their dream into a reality!
2017
SUGAR BARON IS BORN
They start researching all things rum, enroll in a rum-making and distillation course, and buy their first 100L stainless steel column still. Experimentation and product development ensued. The name ‘Sugar Baron’ is born, as a tribute and paying homage to Brad’s Father, Roger, who established the sugarcane plantations on Seafield Farm.
2018
READY, SET, GO
The relevant liquor licenses are approved, and on the 29th of November, Sugar Baron is officially launched to the public.
2019
A BUMP IN THE ROAD
On the 26th of March, President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a 21-day lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is also a complete ban issued on the sale of alcohol in South Africa. The lockdown is then extended, and goes on for almost two years.
2020
A LITTLE INDULGENCE
With the ongoing alcohol ban, Brad and Marisa continue product development and store the rum they had produced, in barrels for ageing. They also work with a local confectionery maker to develop a confectionery range. Sugar Baron’s Rum Fudge and Rum Fudge Sauce is launched.
2021
DEVELOPMENT AND RECOGNITION
The fourth and final alcohol ban is eventually lifted on the 25th of July 2021. A slow but deliberate effort is set in motion to relaunch Sugar Baron. Copper & Vine and Jorum of Skee single-barrel rums are released. Sugar Baron is awarded 86 out of 100 (Silver Medal) for the Single Estate White Rum at the 2021 London Spirits Competition.
2021
NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
Sugar Baron Single Estate Barrel-Aged Rum is released and awarded a Gold Medal at the Merit Wine & Spirit Challenge. Sugar Baron rum sales and distillery functions pick up slowly but surely, and towards the end of 2022, new team members in various capacities join the company to support the continued growth of Sugar Baron. Sugar Baron Coffee Rum Liqueur, Cherry Rum Liqueur and Stimela Premium Cane Spirit are launched in December.
2022
FULL STEAM AHEAD
Renewed efforts are made to expand business operations and distribution of Sugar Baron both nationally and internationally. Team Sugar Baron is hard at work developing new premium rum products!
2023
RICHMOND, KZN
Seafield Farm
Nestled in the picturesque Mkhuzane Valley of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Midlands rests Seafield Farm. Our unique climate and fertile soils create a rich terroir producing premier quality sugarcane, used exclusively in Sugar Baron Plantation Origin Rum.
Just as with sugarcane, it all begins with healthy soils and therefore a healthy crop being sent to the Mill, so the same can be said for the single estate rum we produce at Sugar Baron. We select only the very best single varietal plant cane to produce the beautiful golden, green sugarcane juice which is then fermented before being distilled. From this, only the best batches are selected to be bottled to be sent to market.
Seafield is termed a medium-scale farm in size, with 210.6 hectares under sugarcane. It has consistently delivered high yields as well as above-average quality cane, which is measured as Recoverable Value (RV). Over the past ten years, we have achieved an average of 110 tons per hectare with an average RV of 13.20.
As the figures proudly boast on our behalf, we have been blessed with remarkable consistency, even though we have experienced adverse weather conditions like frost, drought, and more recently and dramatically, snow. We are most fortunate that Seafield has deep, well-drained, red Hutton soils, which have an average of 50% clay content and are naturally high in organic matter.
These good soils, married with a mean annual rainfall of over 900ml, as well as the application of best management practices, ensure that we are able to continue achieving optimal crop yields.
Our methodology involves the adoption of best management approaches to both our operations, while implementing sustainable biodynamic practices, and maintaining healthy and happy relationships with our staff via upliftment programmes, and ongoing education and training.
Sustainable Farming
Our philosophy revolves around the simple to say, but constantly demanding, insistence on sustainability. These sustainable farming techniques include compulsory fallow cropping of every field for at least a year.
This is best practised when the old sugarcane is eradicated in order to break the mono-cropping cycle and thus create the layer wherein we give back to the soil by means of:
- Applying lime to correct potential acidity problems
- Adding organics such as chicken manure
- Planting a multi-species, green-manure crop which includes legumes, non-legumes, and brassicas to enrich the soil
- Adding organic matter and fixing Nitrogen levels
- Controlling weeds, pests and disease
- Preventing soil erosion
All of this will be incorporated back into the soil before the sugarcane is replanted. Despite the fact that sugarcane is a ratooning crop, we believe it is vitally important to apply these sustainable farming techniques whenever possible. This ensures that we – and well beyond us as longevity begs – will be able to continue farming successfully for many years to come.
Regular analysis of soil and leaf samples is a crucial step in determining the correct formula of fertilisers that should be used. These fertilisers, comprised predominantly of macronutrients, should preferably also include their diminutive counterparts, micronutrients, as a means of balance and stasis is sought at this stage. We have spent a great deal of energy and thought to calculate what we believe to be our best-fit fertiliser regimen for Seafield Farm.
Constant and vigilant attention to weed control is also of vital importance, as competition for moisture and nutrition is increased if weeds are not eradicated. The negative effect on yield would then be obvious and is easily – albeit painstakingly – avoidable by means of sensible, best practice weeding. This appeals to Brad’s ever-so-slight, healthy dose of OCD when it comes to how the farm should look and run.
We have a seed cane nursery on the farm, which we monitor carefully so that we know only the healthiest, inspected seed cane (free from pests, disease, and varietal off-types) is used for our replant programmes. These varieties are arduously selected to suit the soils and climatic conditions of our farm.
