Rum Connoisseur

Interview Of The Week

ALEXANDRE MARET

BCI Brand Ambassador

 

1. Who is Alexandre Maret?

A spirits passionate, lucky enough to be able to work for brands which have an incredible potential in the US market! Before being based here in the US, I have worked  almost 4 years as Export Sales Manager for Saverglass (a Glass-making company specialized in producing and decorating bottles/decanters for Luxury Wines & Spirits).

At the same time, from 2017 to 2019, I was running a micro-company that I founded, called VINAC Tasting. The idea with it was to lead Wine & Cognac Tasting for companies, associations and individuals, in order to simplify the consumer experience and approach to the tasting exercise, which sometimes need to be demystified to be enjoyed by a broader audience.

Finally, I joined the company BCI 10 months ago as Portfolio Brand Ambassador. BCI is a family-owned and operated company based in Houston TX (by Nathalie & Jean-Francois Bonneté – www.bonnete.com), specialized in organic brand-building and nationally representing Premium Wines & Spirits such as :

• Trois Rivières Rhum Agricole from Martinique
• Barbancourt Rhum Agricole from Haiti
• New Grove Rum from Mauritius
• Coquerel Calvados & Normindia Gin
• Gabriel Boudier Liqueurs & Gins
• Boomsma Dutch Genevers and Herbal Bitters
• Marquis de Montesquiou Armagnac
• Comte de Lauvia Armagnac
• Bache Gabrielsen Cognac
• Libération de Paris Wines
• Chateau Bonneté

 

2. What does the rum mean for you? What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

Rum/Rhum is a full world discovery and surprise. Not only through the spirits, but also from its history and the one of the cane as a raw-material. This category as so much to offer in terms of diversity and taste that you literally never can stop learning.

I really fell in love of this category in 2018 because at that time, I was in charge of the Caribbean islands market for Saverglass. I had the chance to work with multiple distilleries and brands for their packaging projects like Mount Gay, Admiral Rodney, Chairman’s Reserve, Angostura, etc… and travel to all these producing region.

I have learnt so much from these experiences and from the people I had the chance to partner with.

3. Three essential characteristics that define the rum according to your perspective.

– The uniqueness of the category with its 2 styles : Agricol and Industrial

– The diversity that the producing areas have to offer in terms of terroir, history and know-how

– The continuous potential of the category on its markets thanks to its innovation and attractiveness.

 

4. What is the most important contribution you have made in the rum industry?

With my current position, the contribution and impact needs to be daily and continuous through the education and passion spreading.

I believe that today we (BCI) are for instance the leading company for the Rhum Agricol segment in the US market, with a tremendous potential ahead. Having the chance to be part of building up this segment in the US market is a great opportunity for me. There is a lot of education to be shared on the notions ot terroir and identity in Rhum Agricol, which are very much aligned with what a lot of US spirit consumers are looking for right now.

 

5. Benefits that the rum industry has given you.

A deeper insight of the Spirits industry and US market in general.  The chance that I have is to be able to represent a very qualitative portfolio, brands focused on terroir and ancestral “savoir faire”, covering different up & coming categories. So I can meet someone and start speaking about Rum and then end up talking about Calvados, Dutch Genever or Armagnac and vice versa. I feel like when you work in this industry and you meet bartenders everyday, you not only have to understand one category but the entire offer that a bar can have, in order to have a better global approach of the potential needs and trends to work around.

6. What another thing you are passionate about, in addition to rum? Why?

I have to admit that a spirit I am most passionate about is cognac. I had the chance to live for more than a year in Cognac city when I started to work in the industry, and it was one of the best times of my life. People are so welcoming and passionate, constantly sharing their passion and knowledge.

I like that this category is both very traditional, respecting its history and savoir-faire but very innovative at the same time. The American Oak of Bache-Gabrielsen is actually a good example for it (First cognac to be partly aged in New American Oak from Tennessee).

It is actually interesting to be coming from France where this spirit is almost forgotten, and now, live in the US which is the biggest market for this category. I am learning a lot from the two markets’ visions that I have now.

 

7. What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

I would say Nobody Told Me in the Upper West Side is one of my favorite places. It’s on 951 Amsterdam Ave and it’s actually a recent opening and a “pure” cocktail bar in this area. Alberto and Marc are absolutely incredible and they have a beautiful selection. Take the time to sit there to enjoy a cocktail (and their burger…!!!! :o) as soon as the shutdown will be over and you could have an amazing discussion with these 2 guys who are incredibly knowledgeable on this category and the cocktail making.

 

8. Favorite drink + Recipe

This question is actually a perfect transition since Marc from Nobody told me revisited the Daiquiri cocktail with our New Grove silver Rum and it’s delicious :

0,5 oz like juice

0,5 oz pineapple juice

0,25 oz Boomsma Cloosterbitter

1,5 oz New Grove Rum Silver.

He called it the ‘Achewater Daiquiri’.

9. Why is it important to educate the rum consumer?

The word Rum is known by everyone and people like it, in cocktails, longs drinks and for sipping for the aficionados. But Rhum is a category for which consumers are not necessarily aware about the diversity offered by the different producing areas, the different terroirs and brands… So education is by far a key point in order to make the category more appealing and develop its market share in the coming years.

 

10. Any tips to train the palate and taste a good premium rum?

I feel like the best is always to taste different flights at the same time in order to be able to compare. Especially if you are not a regular taster and that you will most likely forget the taste of what you have sipped a week or two ago.

Also, it’s always good to share the tasting moments because you can talk with other people and compare your sensation and feedbacks; And you do not need to be a professional for that; Just wanting to discover and let your sensations come out.

Of course… Always responsibly. Rum is a great toy but let’s stay reasonable in any circumstances J.

 

12. Is the commitment to sustainable development the key of success for the permanence of the rum industry in the world? Why?

I feel like sustainability has to be part of the process of any kind of spirit. It is a real subject in our daily life and for any kind of industries actually. I would not say that it is a key of success, just a logical continuity in the development for each of the brands and producing areas.

13. Who would you like to meet in the rum industry? What would you say to him/her?

I can’t think of one person that I would like to meet in particular and without being conventional, I just like to discuss with multiple people coming from different places and who have different backgrounds which feed my knowledge and passion.

But if I were to remember a great meeting that I had, I would say the one with Daniel Baudin, the Master Cellar of Trois Rivières who has been awarded ‘Best Master of Rum’ in 2018 at the International Rum Conference. Daniel has an incredible know-how and is really good to share it in a pragmatic way.

 

14. What are your next goals in the rum industry?

Inevitably, the goals are to develop our market share and brand awareness for Trois Rivières, Barbancourt and New Grove in the US market.

The challenge with New Grove is to be able to compete in a competitive price environment but we have a very unique Rum brand here – The entire production is controlled from A to Z, using our own fresh molasses, on the premises, which makes a huge difference in terms of aromas and taste profile, over density and complexity.

Agricol rhums, which are only produced from fresh sugar cane juice opposed to the traditional rums using molasses, have a specific taste profile so for us, for a brand like Trois Rivieres, the key is really the education first of our On & Off trade community and then targeted consumers (starting with Spirits Afficionados).

I have the chance here to work with top brands. Looking at Trois Rivieres, we are very innovative with our Cuvée de l’Océan for example, which is a Rhum produced from a specific parcel located in the very southern part of the island of Martinique, delivering unique iodised and saline notes – Try a Daiquiri with it, you will be stunned!

 

15. Plans you have when you leave the rum industry.

As I said earlier, I am a huge fan of Spirits so I will definitely try to keep working in this industry. At today’s date, I am happy to be able to work with different categories like Calvados, Liqueurs, Gins & Genvers, Armagnac and Rhums / Rums! It allows me to greatly enrich my overall Spirits’ culture and everyday is different thanks to the diversity of the discussions I have with our partners and customers.

What I know is I want to stick to the Spirits industry and the US market which is absolutely fascinating and still be involved in the market development, strategy and education process.

 

16. Why is the role of the bartender important in the rum industry?

We cannot work and succeed without them! They are 100% part of the stories of the brands and categories. They influence the trends, they create, they innovate, they educate the final consumer, I feel they are always open for something new and better..! It’s clearly a daily partnership, hand in hand, and I love to be part of it with them.

 

17. What is your advice for new generations in the rum industry?

Just enjoy! We’re lucky, there is a lot to do and the best is to come!

 

18. How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page?

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-maret-938b449a/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/alex_nyc_spirits/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/bcibonnete/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/BonneteCI/