Mauritius

Sugar cane cultivation was launched there by B.-F. Mahé La Bourdonnais, appointed governor in 1733.

1825: The British finally include sugar produced in Mauritius on the English market at the same price as that of the “West Indies”, increasing from 10’000 tons of sugar to 150’000 tons in 1865. The number of distilleries increased from 39 (1817) to 135 in 1830, then fell to 37 in 1878 (concentration).

An old law prohibiting Mauritians from distilling below 93% vol. alc. was abolished in 2000. The definition of “r(h)um” by its government was based on that of French agricultural rums (rhums agricoles). Creation date of these new distilleries:
2003: Saint-Aubin
2006: Chamarel
2008: La Bourdonnais
2010: Oxenham