Medine distillery is located in the west of the island, not far from Flic-En-Flac. It's one of the last distilleries in Mauritius, and it dates from 1926.
Sugar cane is cultivated on more than 3000 hectares of land, mainly on the west coast of the island.
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| Sugar cane field |
The best time to visit it is during the sugar cane cutting season, between June and December. Unfortunately, we were there in March, and on top of that, the plant was being renovated, so there wasn't much activity. As we couldn't watch the production of sugar and rum, our guide gave us a little surprise.
Not only the distillery manufactures rum and sugar, it also produces vinegar! The visit of the vinegar production area is normally not part of the tour, but as we couldn't see the whole process of rum making, the guide decided to show it to us.
We had an amazing guide, who explained the whole process with knowledge and passion. He was a former employee of the factory, and when he retired, the company offered him to remain as a guide. He really does it for fun and it shows.
Entrance
The factory
Rum aged in oak barrels
Bottling
Of course, we were invited to a little tasting after the visit. There is a shop near the factory where you can buy some of the rum produced on the grounds.
This tour was really worth it. It lasted almost two hours (I have to say my father asked a lot of questions as usual), and we learned almost everything there is to know about the sugar and rum industry.
You can even put you nose in a few tanks so that you can see and smell what's inside!
