For years we’ve talked about rhum agricole being the next ‘big thing’, yet we’re still waiting for some cataclysmic event which propels it into the mainstream. In 2014 cachaça was expected to flourish off the back of the World Cup in Brazil as well as the Olympic Games two years later, but no matter how many travelling fans enjoyed Caipirinhas, the spirit didn’t blossom in the long term as many hoped it would.
Just last year, Drinks International’s Oli Dodd insisted that agricole, which, like cachaça, is made from sugarcane juice, ought to be appreciated and respected as much as mezcal, which has gained a significant following among hipsters and bartenders. From a brand perspective, the rhetoric from agricole brands has been to invest in education in order to grow the sector, but perhaps these efforts have been directed to the same crowd over and over instead of tapping into new audiences – preaching to the choir, should you need the metaphor.
Rhum JM on the island of Martinique is aware of this issue and, to help combat it, recently launched its EDDEN Project (Engagés pour le Développement Durable de nos Écosystèmes et de notre Nature). While nearly every premium spirits producer now has a sustainability framework in place, the EDDEN Project is one of the most thorough and all-round within the industry – but as well as ticking corporate boxes, it may expose the brand to new faces. In order to create the fully rounded programme, Rhum JM partnered with sustainability consultant Linkup Factory.
Illuminating audit
Philippe Raffin, executive vice president of Linkup Factory, says in a report to Bevnet: “Working with companies such as Nestlé, Heineken, and Pepsico, we conducted a similar audit. The findings were illuminating, especially in comparison to other distilleries. The distillery has demanding and sophisticated farming practices, which are quite difficult in tropical regions. Strict prohibitions of pesticides and herbicides are in place and the labour force is French, part of the EU, therefore commanding fair wages and social benefits such as access to education, healthcare, and paid leave.”
Raffin adds: “Massive investments had already been made, especially in low-emission furnaces and distillation apparatuses, which is unique. What’s more, they have a strong willingness to continue to progress. They have a natural sincerity and dedication for sustainability as one coming from such a small island should have.”
Dave Marsland, UK ambassador for Spiribam, which imports Rhum JM and Rhum Clement from Martinique, told Drinks International that the EDDEN Project aims to attract people to the rhum agricole category from outside the industry through the likes of horticulturalists and environmentalists who will relate well with the programme.
“It’s fair to say that not much has changed for agricole as a category in recent times, but I think we need to be targeting people outside the industry without backgrounds in drinking. Right now volumes of agricole are going up, albeit slowly, but it’s largely due to entering new markets rather than building momentum in existing ones.”
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The French island of Martinique remains the mecca of the agricole sector with its strict and traditional production methods defined by its AOC. The biggest USP for agricole is that it’s made from sugarcane juice rather than molasses. However, in recent years there’s been a new wave of sugarcane juice rums coming to market. Renegade on the Caribbean island of Grenada is one of the most poignant examples and two years ago I made a case for these new producers boosting the presence of cane juice rums globally, and in-turn agricole, but the attitude from AOC brands has been different.
Peter Holland, who created The Floating Rum Shack, is a leading figure in the agricole sector and believes that traditional producers remain precious over their categorisation.
“Agricole producers in Martinique with AOC status have worked hard to establish their category over a number of years and it demands premium price points. Therefore, with a rising number of cane juice rums hitting the market, they want to remain separate, which is understandable. The other element is that just because a rum is made from cane juice doesn’t guarantee quality, whereas being in an AOC does.”
Palate differences
Despite the UK being one of the strongest markets for premium spirits, agricole has always struggled. Marsland, who bravely represents the category in the market, believes that British and American palates are generally geared to sweeter compared to other parts of Europe and South America, which immediately puts agricole on the back foot in those regions.
“When I had my own bar in Manchester, Marigot Bay, I had a Ti’ Punch on the menu, which sold well, but it only performed because I was able to tell people about it. I also don’t think agricole is as exposed as other rums to the UK market because Martinique was a French colony, and therefore it remains difficult to get there, having to go through Paris, whereas the Caribbean is direct from London.”
While Holland also points out a lack of presence in cocktail menus. He believes that older expressions of agricole should be used to introduce consumers to the category rather than the younger, more vegetal spirits.
“It’s definitely easier to enjoy older expressions. Something like Rhum JM XO is easier for a consumer to sip on because they treat it like any other complex aged spirit, rather than having to explain exactly what it is first.
“Looking at the wider rum industry I am slightly concerned. The current recession hitting Europe and other parts of the world means people will be more conservative with their spending, and, given the sheer number of spiced rum brands coming to market which are masquerading as ‘rum’, it could have a harmful effect in the long term – especially the likes of AOC agricole brands which demand those higher price points.”
To end on a more positive note, existing agricole drinkers rarely leave the category, and therefore any consumers gained from outside the industry through projects like Rhum JM’s EDDEN will be sustainable for the sector.
