Be Spirit, the area dedicated to spirits (but also beer and cider) at Wine Paris – Vinexpo, is back. With even more space, exhibitors and rum… Ask Audrey Marqueyssat, Be Spirits Manager, for the program!
What role will spirits play at Wine Paris?
Between 2023 and 2024, Be Spirit has gained almost 50% in surface area (47%). Unlike wine, which is much more mature, we feel that this market is booming. There’s a real explosion in spirits, whether for pure tasting or mixology. And that’s reflected in Be Spirit.
How important is rum to Be Spirit?
Gin has taken up an enormous amount of space, and it’s the category most represented in the space for this 2024 edition. Often distilleries want to get into whisky, but they have to wait 3 years for it to age. So in the meantime, to generate cash flow, they make gin. Next come the brown spirits, with whisky and rum.
The latter accounts for some 40 of the 200 exhibitors, who come from Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion Island, Saint Lucia, Mauritius, Venezuela, Panama, etc. You can sample rum neat at the brand stands, or in cocktails at the Infinite Bar, where rum occupies five of the 20 slots available.
What’s new in rum?
Arranged rums are very popular. What’s more, other spirits are getting in on the act, with calvados and armagnac arrangés. I’ve even got a customer who’s thinking of trying an arranged cognac!
And what about the other drinks on offer?
My role is also to bring in products that are innovative, or that you don’t see everywhere. That’s why visitors will be able to discover Asian spirits such as saké. Sake doesn’t belong in the world of spirits, but rather in that of wine. Sake is the only beverage permitted in the wine halls that is not a wine. All the others – beer, cider, soft drinks, etc. – are on Be Spirit. But spirits still account for 90% of exhibitors!
Will there be alcohol-free products too?
Yes, the nolow trend of alcohol-free wines and spirits is on the rise. Among the trends, there’s also the propensity to produce locally and with the least carbon footprint. For example, an exhibitor from Quebec makes a vodka using only recycled products. Reformed potatoes, unused cake batter from a nearby cookie factory….
There’s also a strong cider presence this year. The same goes for cognac. Producers are thinking more and more about consuming it in cocktails, as has already been the case for several years with Armagnac.
Conference program: Wineparis-vinexpo.com
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
1 Place de la Porte de Versailles
75015 Paris – France
Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris will be open to visitors :
Monday February 12 | 9h00 – 19h00
Tuesday, February 13 | 9h00 – 19h00
Wednesday, February 14 | 9h00 – 17h00