New Grove rum experience opens in Mauritius
The newly redesigned L’Aventure du Sucre exhibition in Mauritius features an experience space dedicated to New Grove Distillery.
The L’Aventure du Sucre exhibition is situated in the former Beau Plan sugar mill.
After more than two years of renovation, it has been transformed into a venue that offers a fresh perspective on sugarcane and its significance in Mauritius’ history and development.
The New Grove Distillery experience features an experiential space that highlights the different stages of rum production using real equipment, interactive displays, and audiovisual installations.
The journey begins with fermentation, where the interplay of yeast, temperature, and time creates distinct aromas. It continues with distillation, showcased through a copper column still and a pot still. The ageing process takes place in oak barrels, followed by the blending phase.
Visitors are encouraged to engage with the exhibits, experiment, and deepen their understanding of the various stages involved in crafting rum.
New Grove Distillery has been rooted in Mauritian sugar history since the late 18th century. The distillery controls its entire production chain from raw materials to aged rum and bottling.
Florence de Coriolis, rum brand manager at Grays Inc, said: “Rum is fully in line with the history of sugarcane in Mauritius. It is both an extension and a transformation, requiring precise technical skills and patient work over time.
“Through this space, we wanted to make these stages accessible, to show what happens at each step, to highlight the precision and exacting standards that go into crafting rum.
“New Grove is produced by Grays Inc, a company deeply rooted in Mauritian sugar history through the Terra Group. Our approach is to showcase our distillery, our facilities, our brands, and this heritage, with the ambition of contributing to the long-term positioning of Mauritian rums among the leading international brands.”
L’Aventure du Sucre presents New Grove Distillery’s history alongside contemporary practices and products, highlighting Mauritius’s influence and the advancement of its sugarcane industry.
“Integrating this space into the L’Aventure du Sucre tour is part of this commitment, allowing visitors, both local and international, to better understand this industry and to become, in their own way, its advocates and ambassadors,” Coriolis explained.
Last month, New Grove Distillery invited its international partners to an immersive Rum Odyssey experience at its home in Mauritius.
The full experience
L’Aventure du Sucre has more than 5,000 square meters of exhibition space and welcomes nearly 100,000 visitors each year. The site provides a comprehensive journey into the world of sugarcane, covering its origins and contemporary uses.
Each section integrates scientific content, archival materials, audiovisual displays, and interactive installations, fostering a dialogue between history, agriculture, industry, energy, and society.
The museum experience also emphasises significant transformations in the sector, particularly the transition from a sugar industry to a comprehensive system focused on the full utilisation of the plant.
In collaboration with the Clémence Farrell agency, the redesign is the result of a two-year effort by a multidisciplinary team, during which time the site remained open.
The revamped venue brings together historians, scientists, sugarcane industry professionals, authors, filmmakers, illustrators, photographers, and specialists in museography, scenography, audiovisual media, and signage.
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