New Grove Distillery Reopens its Immersive Mauritius Experience
After more than two years of meticulous renovation, the L’Aventure du Sucre exhibition has reopened its doors in the former Beau Plan sugar mill. This revitalized venue offers a fresh perspective on the vital role sugarcane plays in the history and development of Mauritius. Most notably, the team transformed the site into the new home for the New Grove Distillery experience.
From Cane to Glass: The New Grove Distillery Production Path
The new experiential space utilizes real equipment, interactive displays, and audiovisual installations to lead visitors through every stage of rum crafting. The journey begins with fermentation, where the delicate interplay of yeast, temperature, and time develops distinct aromatic profiles.
Furthermore, the exhibition showcases distillation through both a traditional copper pot still and a modern column still. Distillers then age the spirit in oak barrels before moving into the final blending phase. Throughout the tour, the museum encourages visitors to engage with the exhibits and deepen their technical understanding of the craft.
New Grove Distillery: A Legacy of Mauritian Sugar
While the museum focuses on modern techniques, the roots of New Grove Distillery reach back to the late 18th century. The distillery manages its entire production chain—from the raw sugarcane to the final aged liquid and bottling.
In an interview with The Spirits Business, Florence de Coriolis, rum brand manager at Grays Inc, noted that rum represents a natural extension of Mauritian sugar history. She stated:
“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 new space, the brand intends to make these complex stages accessible to the public, highlighting the exacting standards required for premium spirits.
Elevating the New Grove Distillery to the Global Stage
Grays Inc, a company with deep ties to the Terra Group, produces the New Grove brand with international prestige in mind. De Coriolis informed The Spirits Business that the company’s ambition involves positioning New Grove Distillery among the world’s leading international spirits.
By integrating this experience into the wider L’Aventure du Sucre tour, the brand hopes to turn both local and international visitors into advocates and ambassadors for the Mauritian rum industry. Consequently, last month, the distillery hosted an immersive “Rum Odyssey” for its global partners to showcase this new home.
The Future of New Grove Distillery at L’Aventure du Sucre
The L’Aventure du Sucre site now boasts over 5,000 square meters of exhibition space, welcoming nearly 100,000 visitors annually. Each section of the museum fosters a dialogue between history, industry, and society by integrating scientific archives and interactive media.
Moreover, the redesign reflects the sector’s shift from a simple sugar industry to a comprehensive system focused on the full utilization of the sugarcane plant. This two-year effort, led by the Clémence Farrell agency, brought together a multidisciplinary team of historians, scientists, and designers. Ultimately, the presence of the New Grove Distillery ensures that the legacy of Mauritius continues to evolve for a global audience.
