PAMPLEMOUSSES 21 March 2023 ecoSPIRITS has announced plans to launch closed loop service in Mauritius under a Licensed Operator Agreement with Grays Inc, a local spirits and wine producer and importer. Like other ecoSPIRITS island markets around the world, ecoSPIRITS Mauritius will release a fleet of Ocean Conservation edition ecoTOTEs and will join the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to fund the removal of waste from marine environments. From this month, Grays’ flagship Mauritian rum Lazy Dodo Rum will be one of the first spirits available in ecoTOTE format in Mauritius, alongside Seven Seas cane spirit. These will be joined soon after by other spirits participating in the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program.

Lazy Dodo Rum, which uses sugarcane from one of the oldest plantations in Mauritius, will be one of the first brands in ecoTOTE on the island.

Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean with a population of more than 1.3 million people. As one of the most developed economies in the African region, Mauritius boasts many contemporary bars, restaurants, and nightclubs as well as a plethora of stylish hotels and hotel bars. Sugar has been the island’s staple product and economic backbone for many centuries, with rum production only allowed to resume in the early 2000s. Using sugarcane juice to make alcohol was banned in Mauritius until 2000, although producers were allowed to use molasses to make rum. The country has now gained a good reputation for both its traditional rum, made from molasses, and Agricole-style rum, where the sugarcane juice is extracted for fermentation and distillation.

Many of the stylish hotel bars, nightclubs and restaurants in Mauritius overlook the island’s beautiful beaches and the Indian Ocean.

Grays is a leading producer, importer, and distributor of wines and spirits in Mauritius. The company set up the island’s first distillery in 1931 and is considered one of the pioneers of the distillation industry in Mauritius. It produces rum from the fermentation of molasses and pure sugarcane juice, and it also manages ageing cellars for its spirits. It distributes rums and other spirits through its local network, and it exports its own products to Europe, USA, Asia, and South Africa. Grays also imports wines from all over the world, including well-known brands such as Möet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Glenfiddich and Jack Daniels, among others.

Grays produces rum from pure sugarcane juice, as well as from the fermentation of molasses.

Closed loop distribution in ecoTOTE format will initially start with Grays’ rum brand: Lazy Dodo Rum, named as a tribute to the now extinct bird, which was indigenous to Mauritius. The other brand which will go into ecoTOTE as part of this first phase is the Mauritian brand Seven Seas cane spirit. For the second phase, later in 2023, these brands will be joined by additional spirits from Grays portfolio, including New Grove Rum in two SKUS: Bourbon Cask Aged Rum and Plantation Rum, George Cambridge Blended Scotch Whisky, Kiprinski Vodka, Rover Gin, and Dukes Refined Cane Liquor.

Lazy Dodo Single Estate Rum

Lazy Dodo is matured in French and American oak barrels and is aged for a period of three to 10 years. The rum is created from one of the oldest sugarcane plantations in Mauritius. It is naturally fermented, delicately distilled, aged, and then finely blended to produce a rum offering the natural flavours of the sugar cane.

Seven Seas cane spirit

Seven Seas was launched in 1976 and is proudly made in Mauritius. It is produced with the finest sugar cane in Mauritius and goes through a triple distillation process by master distillers to obtain a crystal pure cane spirit. It is also described as “the only vertically integrated cane spirit in Mauritius.

Eliska Botha, Marketing Manager, Grays

Grays is already a very eco-conscious business, but this partnership with ecoSPIRITS fits well with our sustainability efforts to date and helps us progress to the next stage of our vision. We are thrilled that our flagship brand Lazy Dodo will be one of the first to pioneer this system in Mauritius, and we hope this will help propel our brands as sustainable spirits pioneers onto the global stage. It’s very exciting to have this innovative technology in Mauritius because as an island nation, man-made waste is always at the forefront of our minds and we all want to play our part in looking after the environment.

Iain McPherson, Sales Director, Europe

I’m pleased to announce Grays as ecoSPIRITS’ Licensed Operator for Mauritius. Grays had the vision to create the first distillery on the island, where it has been producing high quality spirits for almost a century. Grays is now continuing to revolutionise Mauritius’ wine and spirits industry by introducing ecoSPIRITS’ closed loop technology. It’s been a pleasure to work with Grays’ highly skilled team in all areas of its business, across Production, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Sales. ecoSPIRITS Mauritius will significantly reduce the number of single use bottles imported to the island, remove 90% of the waste, and, via the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program, it will remove man-made waste from its beaches.

As part of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Mauritius is working on protecting its marine ecosystems in the face of climate change. Like Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and the Seychelles, ecoSPIRITS Mauritius will join the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to fund the removal of waste from marine environments. As part of this, Lazy Dodo Rum will be deployed in the Blue Ocean Conservation ecoTOTE, which is used for Island nations. Grays will also host and operate ecoPLANT No. 033, acting as an expert operational partner for closed loop spirits processing for the region.


For more information about ecoSPIRITS Mauritius please contact Iain McPherson, Sales Director for Europe, on [email protected]. Brands, bars, restaurants, and hotels interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Mauritius may contact [email protected]. For media enquiries about ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Senior PR Manager, Sonya Hook on [email protected].


About Grays

Since 1931, Grays has forged itself the reputation of being a reliable producer and marketer of the best wines, spirits, and liqueurs in Mauritius. Our wines are imported from the best cellars in the world including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other varieties, offering a great selection of wines from around the world; France, Chile, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and more. Additionally, we are proud to market rums through our local distribution network, giving our customers the taste of the local know-how, and export our products to Asia, Europe and USA.

For more information on Grays, please visit www.grays.mu


About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries by early 2023. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global


About the ecoSPIRITS Ocean Program

The ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program complements the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program for island nations that are most at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change. Highlighted by the striking blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE, each order of an ecoTOTE by venue partners in participating island nations funds the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic, glass and other man-made wastes from endangered, coral reefs and waters. Using Green Steps Group’s proprietary “proof of impact” technology platform, cleanup operations are verified, monitored and reported through an industry-leading digital record. Ocean waste recovery benefits the venue partners but is jointly funded by ecoSPIRITS and our Climate Partner brands and distributors.

For more information on Green Steps Group, please visit www.greenstepsgroup.com