The history of rhum arrangé

Rhum arrangé is a preparation based on fruits, plants or spices macerated in rum. Its origins can be traced back to the East India route. Indeed, sailors and traders traveling the world first spread what was then known as Punch by seasoning their rum with various ingredients. The word Punch comes from the Hindu language and the word Panch, which means 5, like the number of ingredients used (rum, sugar, fruit juice, cinnamon, tea).

Its first use was medicinal. Rum served as a vehicle for the beneficial substances contained in plants. Remedies were found for everything from fatigue to male troubles.

The trail of rhum arrangé is rather fuzzy, as it is very diverse, but we can mention, for example, the Indian population of Madagascar, who transmitted this tradition to La Réunion. The practice then spread to the Caribbean and all the colonial trading posts where rum and spices were traded.
The boom in rhum arrangé
Today, rhum arrangé has entered the mainstream and is one of France's favorite alcoholic beverages. It has spread beyond Creole markets and home kitchens. Talented artisans have embraced this tradition, sublimating it with excellent products and taking it a step further in creativity. There's a plethora to choose from, and the recipes are multiplying. Although originally, rhums arrangés were more closely associated with molasses rums from La Réunion (Charette, for example), today there are many recipes using rhum agricole from the West Indies.

Some brands of rhum arrangé

Ced's rums

Pioneer and leader of rhums arrangés in France, Cédric Brément is bursting with energy and ideas, which he experiments with in his workshop in the Nantes region. He works with AOC Martinique white agricultural rum and fruit carefully selected from local or Réunionese producers. The fruit is cut and bottled exclusively by hand.

His greatest success is undoubtedly Ananas Victoria, and we owe him a number of experiments such as arrangés aged in Sauternes barrels, and original creations like GwaMaRé.

Bigallet - Arrangé des 7 mers

Bigallet is a very old brand, dating back to the end of the 19th century. Originally, it offered cocktail ingredients, syrups and creams for bars and restaurants. Today, its 100% natural products are even more numerous and varied, and it's only natural that it should also be involved in the production of rhums arrangés.

These Martinique agricultural rum-based macerations are prepared with fruit from sustainable agriculture, and the cane sugar used is organic and fair trade certified.

Among the many sweet treats on offer are Pineapple Vanilla and Coco Arrangé.

Isautier

Since 2010, Isautier has been part of the long-standing Réunionese tradition of rhum arrangé, starting out as the island's largest distillery of sugar rum, when it was founded in 1845. Since then, Isautier has gone from strength to strength, culminating in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art , sustainable liquor plant near the distillery.

These arranged rums are sweet treats to be enjoyed frosted. You won't want to miss the best-selling Banane flambée or the Ginger Lemon.

Chatel

The company was born in 1907, when Jean Chatel gave up taking over the family pharmacy to open a distillery. Over the course of the 20th century, the company expanded, modernized, moved to new premises and became one of Réunion's leading brands, thanks in particular to its liqueurs.

Today, it is reviving tradition with a series of rhums arrangés, each more gourmet than the last, including Caramel beurre salé and Letchi, the emblem of Réunion Island. Read less