Despite the tremendous momentum organic farming, the wine industry is suffering. Six million hectolitres were distilled last year and a hundred thousand hectares are going to be uprooted, or nearly 15% of the total surface area. The fault lies in the lack of love that is affecting the blood of the vine in France: minus 70% in sixty years – the reds being more in difficulty than the others. To ward off the inexorable trend, initiatives are multiplying. Like, to regain the favor of female palates and millennials or to break the codes of consumption. Cocktails in general and Rum in particular are no exception to the rule and are constantly reinventing themselves. Our guide.
The French craze for rum is undeniable. A phenomenon that can be explained by its rise in quality, its versatility and its ability to reinvent history, as proven by arranged rums, probably created at the beginning of the 17th century by sailors of the Royal Navy. based in India. At the time, it was called “punch”, originally made from arak, before moving on to rum. In both cases, the aim was the same: to preserve spices and fruits by plunging them into alcohol. A preparation – sometimes medicinal – which became one of the most popular drinks on the Old Continent until the 19th century. Before signing one of the greatest successes of the spirits industry in recent years. In 2021, its sales even recorded a 44% increase in supermarkets (according to Nielsen). Cyrille Lawson, head of development for HSE rums in Martinique, notes however “a decline since Covid, except in mass distribution, where purchases are still growing.”
Rigorous specifications
Today, according to the legislator, arranged rum is no longer one. In the new European regulation of May 25, 2021, this category has in fact (re)become rum punch, joining the classification of liqueurs. Its specifications stipulate that its alcoholic strength comes from the exclusive use of sugar cane brandy, that it must be at least 15% with a minimum sugar content of 100 grams per liter, and that its flavoring substances must be exclusively natural. That’s the law, but in reality, enthusiasts still talk about “arranged rum”, even when it does not reach the regulatory 37.5% for the “rum” designation. You don’t change a winning team.
Another notable fact: the arranged wines are becoming more sophisticated and qualitative. “The best ones have returned to the artisanal approach of the origins, indicates Christian de Montaguère, founder of the boutique in Paris bearing his name. Their alcohol percentage remains an indicator. Those that display 18%, less expensive because of the lower taxes that hit them, are found rather on the shelves of large retailers. Wine merchants prefer higher rates. Some brands also produce the same reference with different alcohol levels to reach both markets.”
Regional specificities
Deeply rooted in the local culture of the Antilles and Reunion, old rum-based recipes are now rocking the metropolis. So much so that many new brands are emerging. “Operators are also highlighting their regional specificity by using, for example, herbs from Provence in the South-East or salted butter caramel in Brittany,” notes Cyrille Lawson. This is the case of Halto, founded by Théo Parant, a former business school student who left his London start-up dedicated to artificial intelligence. Developed in Montélimar and inspired by the French regions, its arrangés pay homage to Bordeaux with a rum (from Martinique) with cannelé flavors, to Menton with lemon, to Ardèche and its chestnuts and, of course, to the capital of nougat. Another case in point, on the Arcachon basin. Darwinn & Co’s arrangements are inspired by a manuscript written in the 1930s by Nicholas Darwinn, a rum enthusiast. Traditional recipes, therefore, but brought up to date with, in particular, less than 5% added sugars.
Also in charge of the development of La Fabrique de l’arrangé (located in Marcoussis, in Essonne, due to its proximity to the Rungis market) since its acquisition by HSE in 2020, Cyrille Lawson details the ingredients needed to make a good arrangé: “The rum must be of good quality and have an alcohol content of 40 to 50%. You need to count on 50 to 150 grams of sugar, an essential flavor enhancer. The fruits, when ripe, are subject to drastic selection, then cut by hand before macerating.”
While in most of the arranged fruits are visible, Isautier, leader of the category in mass distribution and pioneer of the category with Gingerlick, created in 1970 in Reunion, makes the opposite choice. “Alcohol does not preserve them for long”, explains Cyril Isautier, who presides over the oldest distillery on the Indian Ocean island, in the hands of the same family for six generations. On the other hand, a wide range of techniques is used to obtain the flavoring preparations: distillation, juices, fruit purees, but also liqueurs, like the Arhumatik Ananas Victoria, an ode to one of the emblematic fruits of Reunion.
The vogue of spiced
While arranged drinks remain a French specialty, other drinks based on sugar cane brandy are also finding new life. Of British origin, spiced replace the fruits with spices, such as vanilla, pepper, ginger, nutmeg or cloves. And, unlike their arranged cousin, a dark rum can serve as a base for them. Having become essential in mixology, spiced inspire other spirits, such as whisky. A tit for tat, rum has been looking closely for several years at the work on wood carried out by producers of malted brandy.
The large family of arrangements, punches and spiced ultimately represents a formidable laboratory for testing technical innovations and new tastes. “We are progressing empirically,” confesses Cyrille Lawson, who, to meet consumer desires, anticipates the arrival of other types of fruit, such as roasted Piedmont hazelnuts. A thirst for experimentation that is gaining ground in the entire rum industry. In the Dominican Republic, the Brugal family house uses a unique technique of aromatic roasting of barrels for the bottles of its Coleccion Visionaria. “New European oak barrels are toasted with chocolate beans directly roasted over a flame before receiving the rum, which then absorbs the aromas provided by this unique roasting method,” explains Hugo Gargaud, the brand manager in France. Still in the Caribbean, Alexandre Gabriel, the creator of Planteray, has imagined, for his Cut & Dry Coconut, a marriage between cane brandy and coconut. In pieces, it is dried then infused in white rum before being assembled with a brandy from Barbados aged for 3 to 4 years. Neither rum nor arranged, this spirit drink is a delicious treat. What more could you ask for?
OUR SELECTION
The 12 Best Rum Spirits for Summer
Arhumatic – Atoca (28%)
The latest limited edition from the Lille house combines cranberry and maracudja, a more acidic version of passion fruit. Liveliness and a pleasant bitterness in the finish, the signature of cranberry (cranberry). €39.90.
Isautier Pineapple Vanilla Chili (37%)
This arranged rum combines three emblems of Reunion Island: Victoria pineapple, Bourbon vanilla and bird’s eye chili. Fruity, sweet, and a slightly spicy finish that will make you want to come back for more. 16.90 €.
The Arranged Factory – Tutti Frutti (30 %)
This unique recipe from La Fabrique de l’arrangé combines a maceration of passion fruit and an infusion of white tea, rose and lychee. Beautiful balance, and aromas magnified by the subtlety of the rose. 35 €.
Mast River Macadamia & Caramel (17%)
A new range for the Reunion distillery. Named L’Onctueux, it offers a liqueur of milk cream and rum. A successful alliance between the aromatic intensity of macadamia nuts and the sweetness of caramel. 13.45 €.
Planteray Cut & Dry (40%)
From Barbados, an ode to the coconut, another emblem of this Caribbean island with sugar cane brandy. Cut and dried in the open air, the pieces of coconut then infuse in white rums which are blended with a rum aged between 3 and 4 years. Intense exotic flavors, ideal for a successful pina colada of competition. (€44.90)
Halto Nougat from Montélimar (30%)
Another idea of Provence with this arrangement based on the specialty of Montélimar, the city that hosts the activities of Halto, a young brand whose credo is based on the regions of France. The sweetness of an amaretto combined with the vigor of an agricultural rum. (39 €)
Saint James Banana flambé-Bourbon vanilla (35%)
The Martinique distillery of Sainte-Marie prepares its arrangés with pure cane white rum and fruits harvested at full maturity. This classic is part of the island tradition by demonstrating a beautiful aromatic generosity with only two ingredients. Sometimes, less is more. (33 €)
Darwinn Maraberry (32%)
In their artisanal rum distillery in La Teste-de-Buch, on the banks of the Arcachon Basin, Elisabeth and Jonathan Toledo invite you on a journey through a rich range of arranged rums. The white rums they work with come exclusively from the Reimonenq distillery in Guadeloupe. The fruitiness of the raspberry deliciously introduces the tangy notes of passion fruit. Light in sugar. (32 €)
Chatel Ginger Passion (40%)
A family distillery based in Reunion Island for over a century, Chatel offers a wide range of arrangements made with Savanna rum. This plays on the contrast between the spicy side of ginger and the acidity of passion fruit. Perfect balance. (€29.90)
MaloRhum Punch Beer’ (35%)
An original proposition from Saint-Malo. Its hoppy and malty notes should delight beer lovers, another queen of summer drinks. The work of two enthusiasts who revisit arranged rum using techniques that are similar to those of cooking. (€39.50)
Ti Spicy de Ced’ (45%)
Its base, a pure cane juice from Martinique, was refined in Sauternes barrels before receiving a maceration of Timut pepper, cloves, kumquat and dried black lemon from Iran. All of this is then infused in rum. Elegance, freshness and character. (36 €)
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