Nicolas Le Brun shares his vision of the world of spirits

Nicolas Le Brun has been working for La Maison Du Whisky for 11 years. He writes for Whisky Magazine and has been the organizer of Whisky Live and Cocktails Street for 10 years.

Nicolas is passionate about spirits, but more than passion, it is the art of living around spirits that inspires and drives him daily. Organizing Whisky Live and Cocktails Street every year is incredibly exciting: it is a unique opportunity to share this art of living with hundreds of enthusiasts, both amateurs and professionals. It is this excitement around spirits that fuels his passion and makes his job so extraordinary. Today, Nicolas shares with us his vision of the current spirits industry, emerging trends, and future challenges.

NICOLAS, WE HAVE SEEN A PLETHORA OF ENTREPRENEURS CREATING SPIRITS BRANDS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. WHAT DOES THIS INSPIRE IN YOU?

The emergence of these new entrepreneurs is, in my eyes, the natural continuation of the heritage and tradition of distillation in France. The Cognac region, or “Spirit Valley,” is a true epicenter of spirits creation. This is where many distilleries are born, especially those specializing in French whisky, a category that has been establishing itself since the 1980s.

These new whisky offerings, though inspired by Scottish and American traditions, are by no means copies! Our entrepreneurs bring a distinctly French touch, infused with our beautiful culture of refinement.

Elegance, perfect balance, and the quest for excellence are the strengths of France, well anchored in our culture of quality, inherited from Cognac.

What also sets us apart is our gastronomic culture. French spirits are never far from gastronomy and are crafted with the same precision and passion as a work of art or a Grand Chef’s recipe.

Our spirits are not just consumed, they are experienced!

In short, I firmly believe that the new French spirits entrepreneurs have a bright future ahead of them.

RUM AND WHISKY ARE BY FAR THE MOST CONSUMED SPIRITS BY THE FRENCH. WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS FOR THESE TWO SPIRITS ON THE GLOBAL AND FRENCH MARKETS?

In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, whisky was consumed by a tiny fraction of the population. Today, whisky has become more popular. The French have rediscovered this spirits culture and new whisky-producing countries are emerging: Scandinavians, Welsh, British, Taiwan, India.

For rum, the story is different. Rum is a rediscovery. We had a tradition of pure cane juice (white rums). Today, we find interesting rums of Spanish and British tradition with molasses, which gives a very sweet taste and rums that are rounder and more gourmet.

We have also rediscovered Jamaican rums with esters that make them extremely aromatic and full-bodied.

AND FOR OTHER SPIRITS, WHICH CHALLENGER IS RISING AND CATCHING UP WITH THESE TWO GIANTS?

Tequila and Mezcal, these agave-based spirits from Mexico, are on the rise, and we have high hopes for them! We believe that this category of spirits has a very bright future because there are more than 150 varieties of agave! Like barley for whisky, they all have their territorial specificities. About fifteen Tequila and Mezcal producers will be present at Whisky Live Paris this year. It promises great surprises and discoveries. We believe in them a lot!

WE KNOW THAT INNOVATION IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO SURVIVE IN THE SPIRITS WORLD. WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RECENT INNOVATIONS AND THE ONES TO COME?

Innovation is indeed essential to remain attractive to increasingly demanding consumers. Technological advances play an important role in innovation, particularly with the introduction of new fermentation and distillation processes that improve the quality of spirits. In terms of maturation, innovation manifests itself through the use of barrels that have contained French grand cru wines, which give unique and complex aromas to the spirits. This approach allows producers to create new original and high-quality flavors.

There are also many innovations in the mixology world. Bartenders are making a plethora of original and creative proposals. We see this every year at Cocktail Street during Whisky Live. New cocktail trends are emerging, especially in Asia.

In short, innovation in spirits can be found at all levels. Nothing is set in stone in this universe.

ARE THERE ANY EMERGING COUNTRIES VENTURING INTO SPIRITS PRODUCTION?

India, Taiwan, and Scandinavia are three countries that have recently ventured into whisky production. South Africa, Thailand, and Tahiti, on the other hand, offer high-quality rums.

THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN 0.0% ALCOHOL, EVEN FOR SPIRITS, ESPECIALLY AMONG GENERATION Z. DO YOU THINK THE MAJOR SPIRITS HOUSES WILL ADAPT TO OFFER ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS?

It’s true that 0.0% alcohol is in fashion! We expect a record number of non-alcoholic spirits producers at Whisky Live Paris this year. This generation indeed consumes less alcohol than their elders. They mostly consume less but better, or even zero alcohol.

For now, I think it is a gamble. I am curious to discover the new products at Whisky Live and am eager to be surprised!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES SPIRITS PRODUCERS WILL FACE IN THE FUTURE?

The first challenge for the sector is to offer increasingly reasonable, authentic spirits that come from a terroir. This notion of terroir is so important today for consumers, just as it is in gastronomy. And it makes sense since, by definition, distilling comes from agricultural culture, from the rural world. We are therefore looking to rediscover this authenticity.

Beautiful houses are emerging, such as Le Domaine des Hautes Glaces, a French farm-distillery that produces organic whisky from cereals grown on the Trièves plateau, an eco-territory at the foot of the Vercors cliffs, where nature and culture have always been in dialogue.

There are many such offerings throughout France.

THIS YEAR 2024 IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER AS WHISKY LIVE PARIS CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY ON SEPTEMBER 28, 29, AND 30! CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE?

Whisky Live is the premier European fair 100% dedicated to spirits, bringing together over 10,000 people each year around the discovery and tasting of whisky, spirits, and cocktails. This year, we expect even more people.

This edition will first allow us to retrace the 20 years of Whisky Live Paris and celebrate 20 years of meetings between producers, amateur, and professional visitors.

We have planned masterclasses, eclectic round tables that promise to be inspiring, especially on agave. Our goal is to always make our visitors discover more producers of spirits to create surprises.

In summary, this edition will provide visitors with keys to better appreciate the spirits of yesterday and tomorrow and to prepare for the next 20 years!

To conclude, what advice would you give to an entrepreneur who wants to enter the spirits industry today or a professional who wants to innovate and improve?

I would advise two things: come to Whisky Live to get a three-day snapshot of the entire sector and train, of course! If you want to pursue a career in the spirits industry, training is essential. It cannot be stressed enough. The WSET diplomas in spirits offer a very good approach to the universe. WiSP is a training organization that offers WSET training in spirits from level 1 to 3 in partnership with La Maison du Whisky.

A big thanks to Nicolas Le Brun