Taipei: Rum produced from pure sugarcane juice in Taiwan recently won two grand gold medals at a prestigious international wine competition in France. The awards were announced this week following the conclusion of the 31st Vinalies Internationales, which received over 2,600 entries from 37 countries around the world this year.

According to Focus Taiwan, two types of “Rhum Agricole,” a French term for agricultural rum, produced by the Taiwan Sugar Research Institute in collaboration with National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT), received two grand gold medals. In 2021, the institute and NKUHT embarked on a joint project to research and develop a local rum that is “distinguishably Taiwanese.” Wu Ming-chang, chairman of Taiwan Sugar Corp. (Taisugar), expressed the hope of promoting locally-produced rum on the international market.

Globally, rum is classified into two main categories: industrial rum and agricultural rum, with the former being produced from molasses while the latter is obtained exclusively from the fermentation of pure sugarcane. Chen Chien-hao, who graduated from Universit© de Bourgogne in France and currently teaches at NKUHT, explained that the Dutch introduced sugarcane cultivation to Taiwan 400 years ago. Although sugar from sugarcane has faced price challenges due to international competition, Taiwan has established a unique terroir for rum.

Chen noted that pursuing an unexplored path is incredibly challenging and lonely. As an NKUHT educator, he has been working to revive lost indigenous liquor, hoping to promote it on the international stage. The opening up of the brewing industry 20 years ago spurred active participation from the private sector and received strong government support. This environment has enabled the private sector to gradually develop local spirits using international-level brewing techniques, which Chen believes is a significant advantage for Taiwan.