Paris: the world capital of Rum 2nd edition

The Palais Brongniart hosted the Salon international du rhum from February 12 to 14. A meeting that celebrates the Rum Ecosystem in all its human, cultural and economic richness.

This edition will also bring together the key players from the overseas territories – Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Réunion, French Polynesia, among others – whose traditions and innovations fuel the economy and influence of this dynamic sector.

The 2025 edition is distinguished by major partnerships, in particular with Bonsucro, Spirits Europe, Paris Je t’aime, Gault&Millau, Women Leading Rhum, Business France as well as several key ministries and institutions.

Ranked 3rd in spirits consumption worldwide, rum is a rapidly expanding sector with nearly 500,000 tonnes consumed each year worldwide. Thanks to its overseas territories which produce 55 million litres per year with a production that increased by +13% between 2019 and 2021, France is the fifth largest exporter of rum in the world.

For this 2025 edition placed under the theme of Human, nearly twenty-five countries and more than a thousand participants from all over the world will have the opportunity to meet, exchange and try to shape the future of the Rum ecosystem together. A unique event in the world, the Mondial du Rhum is also and above all a cultural event because the Rum culture goes well beyond the sole exhibition dedicated to the different links in the Rum ecosystem, it brings with it all the other cultures, gastronomic, artistic, literary, cinematographic, musical, touristic…, rum is the link of the cultural heritage.

Finally, in mainland France, at least thirty distilleries produce rum from imported molasses (often alongside other local spirits). Better still, sugar cane plantations have been created near Hyères (Var) with Flamant Rose rum, or in Corsica (Tia rum)!

French know-how is also exported internationally through large groups that buy or invest in distilleries: Rémy Cointreau in Barbados (Mount Gay); Maison Ferrand in Barbados (WIRD) and Jamaica (NRJ); Pernod Ricard in Cuba (Havana Club) and GBH in Saint Lucia (Chairman’s Reserve). Individuals have also changed their lives and founded new distilleries and brands in Asia: in Thailand, Thibault Spithakis for Chalong Bay and Yann Triffe for Kosapan; in Vietnam, Antoine Poircuitte with Sampan; in Taiwan, Olivier Caen with Renaissance. Finally, Cyrille Villemain created Bahari in Africa.

The new frontiers of rum are also materializing through a constant search for innovation. For example, in agricultural rum (French rum made from sugar cane), we have seen the democratization of single-plot rums (from a single plot), single-varietal rums (a single variety), brut de colonne (sold at the degree of exit from the distillation apparatus), and white tasting rums.

Patrick Loger, organizer of the Mondial du Rhum, the rum market is doing well.
Rum is experiencing remarkable growth because it embodies both authenticity and innovation. On the one hand, it is deeply rooted in centuries-old traditions and know-how, which appeals to enthusiasts looking for stories and terroirs. On the other hand, rum is constantly reinventing itself thanks to new aromatic profiles, eco-responsible approaches, and initiatives such as spirit tourism and gastronomy, which attract a curious and diverse public.

This second edition provides a wide window on innovation, a sustainable springboard for creating jobs. Another theme addressed was business, the opportunity to talk with stakeholders and decision-makers about economic and environmental issues.

This world championship offers everyone, especially young people, the pleasure of meeting other countries. Martinique is the land of rum with its AOC designation and remains a fundamental example in the quality of rums and everything that is traceable in sustainable development. The rum ecosystem is very open, it is a mixture of cultures of this all-world drink that allows us to travel through spirit tourism. There are a host of professions in the pharmacopoeia linked to rum, therefore an opening for the scientific branch. Communication on social networks requires new professions, says the organizer of the Mondial du Rhum, Patrick Loger.

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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