Mauritian rum, from molasses to cane juice

A cane island with little rum

For centuries sugar cane dominated the Mauritian economy, but it was grown above all for sugar, which was more profitable for the colonial authorities. Rum was made only in small quantities, from molasses, the leftover syrup from refining.

Traditional rum and rhum agricole

There are two main families:

• traditional rum (sometimes called "industrial"), distilled from molasses;
• rhum agricole, distilled from fresh cane juice, known as vesou. It must be distilled very soon after the cane is crushed, which means the distillery has to sit close to the fields.

The 2006 turning point

Making spirits from molasses was never illegal in Mauritius, but distilling cane juice was. In 2006 the government lifted that ban. New producers set up, historic sugar estates diversified, and Mauritian rum began to be exported and to win attention at international shows.

A few names to know

• Rhumerie de Chamarel: founded in 2008 in the south-west, on a hill about 300 metres above sea level. It distils juice from its own cane on site, using both column and double distillation; its golden rums age for 18 months in oak, its old rums for at least three years.
• Saint Aubin: an estate whose origins go back to 1819, which opened an artisanal distillery working with cane juice.
• New Grove: molasses-style, column-distilled rums, which you can taste at L'Aventure du Sucre among other places.

Infused rums

Beyond the distilleries, many small producers buy rum to age it or flavour it with local ingredients: vanilla, spices, coffee, fruit. These "rhums arrangés" make popular souvenirs.

From cane to glass

According to CNN Travel, about a dozen cane varieties grow in Mauritius, and two of them, yellow and red, are favoured for rum. At Chamarel, freshly cut cane is shredded, crushed and pressed; the resulting juice, or vesou, is fermented with yeast and filtered water and then distilled. The white rum then rests for about three months in stainless-steel vats before bottling at around 44% alcohol.

Where to taste

The Chamarel and Saint Aubin estates offer tours and tastings, as does L'Aventure du Sucre in Pamplemousses. As always, drink responsibly, and don't drive after a tasting: Mauritian mountain roads are winding.