The CEO of Pernod Ricard-owned Havana Club
has called for “basic quality rules” in rum to create a “more harmonious”
industry. Christian Barré believes rums
of different origins should adhere to specific rules and regulations Christian Barré, who was appointed Havana Club
CEO in 2017, expressed his support for new European Union regulations that limit the amount
of sugar that can be added to rum. In
addition to “special legislation”, such as those of the European Union, each rum-making
region should “make sure it has a clear set of rules”, he said.
“It would help the category in the future
if there were some clearer rules and regulations, like in whisky and Cognac. We
need to innovate but in well-defined framework to guarantee consumers that when
you innovate with super-aged rums you still deliver quality.” Increasing discussions around transparency in
rum are leading to the creation of a “more harmonious” sector, which is in its
“early stages”, the Barré added.
“In the rum market, we should push to make
sure transparency for consumers is key. At the end of the day, consumers are
not fools; they can understand the difference between a good quality product
and one that is commercial. We need basic quality rules.” Barré confirmed that “flavors are of
interest” to Havana Club when it comes to innovation, and that “it’s going to
be an interesting year” for new releases from the brand. Earlier this year, the rum released its 2019
Tributo bottling a blend that includes rum aged in Cognac casks, while
October saw the launch of Havana Club Professional Edition series.
