Rum in the Crossroads of Europe
Belgium is famous for beers, chocolate, and waffles, but now has a vibrant rum scene born out of craft distilling and thriving independent bottling.
Belgium, famous for its world-class beers, artisanal chocolates, and iconic Belgian fries, is now home to a vibrant, emerging rum scene. This exciting development is propelled by rising consumer demand for exceptional local spirits, support for craft distilleries, and a flourishing network of independent bottlers.
Belgium, one of Europe’s smaller nations, is strategically positioned between the Netherlands and France, with its western coast facing the North Sea. The country’s terrain is generally low-lying, transitioning from a flat coastal plain in the north and west, which gradually ascends into the more rugged Ardennes hills and forests in the southeast.
The Low Countries historically served as pivotal, independent trading centres within the Benelux region. Antwerp, in particular, flourished as a major hub, at one point rivalling Venice. While trade shifted to Amsterdam, Antwerp has maintained its status as the top diamond trading centre. From the 14th century onward, sugar cane began arriving in Belgium. Antwerp emerged as the most important port, and at its height, the city had over 15 sugar factories. This cemented Antwerp’s position as the world’s leading sugar-producing centre until the close of the 17th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous sugar cane plantations operated in the Belgian Congo. Sugar cane from the Congo was transported to Belgium, where it was processed into cane sugar, yielding molasses. Belgium, like many European colonial powers, actively took part in the triangular trade, importing sugarcane and molasses from its territories in Africa and the Americas.
During the Napoleonic wars, there was a blockade at sea, so no sugar cane could enter continental Europe. So, they started research to produce sugar from sugar beets, which were grown mainly in Flanders and Holland. The rise of the Flemish sugar beet industry significantly impacted the Caribbean sugar trade. The spirit called Rumbelbeet is still made today. Belgians also developed Jenever, their traditional juniper-flavoured spirit. Despite these shifts, Belgian interests in the African DR Congo initiated sugar refining in 1925, directly leading to rum distilling and subsequent imports into Belgium. Following World War II, a distilling resurgence occurred in the 1990s. This gained momentum in the 2010s with the global craft distilling movement, marking a new chapter for rum in Belgium. Our Belgian rum adventure begins now, guiding you from West Flanders, Dutch-speaking in the north, to the capital in Brussels, and then finishing in the French-speaking Wallonia in the south.
Flanders
In northern Belgium, it’s generally flat, and part of the larger North European Plain, with a coastal plain in the northwest and a central plateau. It’s known for its fertile agricultural lands, picturesque canals, and historic cities like Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp. The five provinces within Flanders are Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, East Flanders, Limburg, and West Flanders.
Boozehounds
Founded in 2022 in Kortrijk, West Flanders. Boozehounds is an independent bottler and blender, passionate about craftsmanship and creativity. They use techniques like blending, infusing, and further ageing to shape flavour profiles. Rum is one of the many playgrounds they enjoy thanks to its diversity and character. They work with molasses-based rums from around the world and often take them in new directions through cask finishes, spice blends, or unconventional twists. Their goal isn’t to replicate tradition but to reimagine it. Boozehounds believes the drinks industry is shifting and people are looking beyond the label for flavour, story, and experience. That’s where they thrive. The Boozehounds are built around curiosity and creativity, with every release carrying a twist or a quirk. The Unique Series is where they push boundaries: rare cask finishes, unexpected blends, and limited-run bottlings that celebrate individuality. It’s their space for small-batch experiments that really stand out— playful, bold, and unlike anything else on the shelf. They regularly host tastings, workshops, and private events at the Boozehounds HQ, and also offer cocktail catering for off-site events. You’ll find their rums in the wild at Social Club in Kortrijk or Why Not in Ghent – both are excellent spots to discover the range in action.
Find out more on Boozehounds
Sas Distilleries
Sas Distilleries is a family distillery, founded in 2014 by Prof. Dr. Benedikt Sas and MSc. Katia De Henau. With a PhD in organic chemistry, Benedikt is the master distiller, and Katia has a Master’s degree in Chemistry. The Sas family can trace their ancestry back to 1393, within the Duchy of Brabant. Sas Distilleries has had a rum in its range since 2015 but also produces gin, absinthe and eau-de-vie. Charlesville Rum is based on an old French recipe from the early 1800s. MS Charlesville was a ship built in Hoboken. It transported goods and people between the Belgian Congo and Belgium. Charlesville is now the name of the Golden and Dark rum of Sas Distilleries.
Charlesville Rum starts from sugar cane molasses with a fermentation of approximately. 7 days. It’s distilled in small batches in a copper still of 200L. After distillation, the rum is matured in medium-toasted French Oak barrels for a minimum of 3 months. There’s Charlesville Golden Rum and Charlesville Dark Rum. They also produce Rumbelbeet, which starts from sugar cane molasses. Rumbeet, also matured in French Oak barrels, medium toasted. You can visit the distillery and discover the history by appointment, and you’ll find Charlesville Rum at good stores and bars locally.
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BELROY’s Bijou
Near the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp South is BELROY’s Bijou cocktail ba,r which relocated in 2024. BelRoy’s Rum didn’t start as a brand but rather emerged from a series of events in 2013. Founders Ben Belmans and Dieter Van Roy met at a workshop, leading them to experiment with bottling and ageing cocktails in 2014. Their first cocktail bar, BelRoy’s Bijou, opened its doors in 2016. This partnership eventually evolved into the BelRoy’s brand, now most recognised for its selection of premium rums, gins and ready-to-drink cocktails. BELROY’s Rum is a blend of both young and predominantly 5-year-old rum from Trinidad with funky high-ester Jamaican rum. The latest bottled cocktails are three exclusive cocktail creations featuring the premium Nicaraguan rum. You can try their rum at the bar or pick up a bottle at BelRoy’s Bijou, BelRoy’s MAS, BelRoy’s at Nine and Bijou Balls & Booze.
Find out more on BELROY’s Bijou
The Roots
The Roots is an independent bottler from Zoersel, specialising in whisky, rum, cognac, and Armagnac. Inspired by the profound loss of a loved one to cancer, The Roots became the catalyst for pursuing a long-held passion for whisky and spirits, a testament to living life without delay. There’s no compromise in the pursuit of excellence, and they believe that the true reward lies in bottling a remarkable spirit. Only when there is an immediate and genuine connection with a cask will it bear The Roots name. Each selection is made with great care, passion, and dedication. They are committed to presenting their spirits in their purest form: natural colour, non-chill filtered, and preferably bottled at cask strength. The Roots’ latest releases include Bellevue 1998, Foursquare 2008, HD (Jamaica) 2012 (OWH), Diamond Guyana 2003, and TDL (Trinidad) 2009. Upcoming releases feature HD (Jamaica) 2013 (<>H) and TDL (Trinidad) 2009. You can find their rum at reputable stores that also live by their mantra, “Don’t live by quantity, live by quality!” and “With love for the spirit.” They also attend various spirit festivals.
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2240 Social Club Bvba
Founded in 2014 by Lester Schutters in Zandhoven. Lester first launched handmade Belgian liqueurs, inspired by the classic Italian limoncello. He later combined this knowledge to create his rum brand World’s End Rum. 2240 Social Club now produces gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, agave and limoncello. Due to the growing success of its own brands and the launch of this new research & development service, 2240 Social Club moved to a larger building. They create private label brands like their signature brand, World’s End Rum. This includes Navy 57, premium spiced rum, Dark Spiced, Tiki Spiced and Falernum. A Jamaica and Trinidad blend of navy-proof rum at 57%. Other projects include Infamous Pineapple Spiced Rum and Dark Rum 43 and Wycked Rum, a Tahitian vanilla & caramel-flavoured rum. There’s not a tour, but in the long term, they plan to include a small visitors centre with a space for workshops in Zandhoven.
Find out more on 2240 Social Club Bvba
Mission Masala Firewater Rum
In partnership with 2240 Social Club, Mission Masala Indian restaurant owners Tim Van den Heuvel and Pavan Bajwa launched their own rum in 2022. Mission Masala Firewater. The Firewater comes in two flavours: Mission Masala House Blend, a balanced blend of 3-year-old Barbados rum, 3-year-old Jamaica rum and unaged Jamaica rum. Then, Mission Masala Pineapple Rum has exotic flavours blended with Caribbean rum. You can try the rums in cocktails on their menus at their popular restaurants in Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels.
Find out more on Mission Masala Firewater Rum
BUSS Spirits
Founded in 2013 by Serge Buss in Antwerp, a passionate entrepreneur, who established the distillery and the first Belgian Gin & Tonic bar that same year. His journey began with opening his first restaurant in Antwerp at the age of 20, and he naturally transitioned into making his own drinks. Shack Rum is their brand, inspired by a Haitian recipe traced back to the 1940s. The range of premium aged and flavoured rum blends from Barbados, Guatemala & Trinidad, naturally macerated with fresh fruits & selected botanicals. Shack Rum Gold Collector edition is an aged Caribbean blend based on a Haitian recipe and good voodoo vibes. Made from imported rums from Barbados, Guatemala, and Trinidad. You’ll find the rum locally at stores and bars.
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Belgian Spirits Company
Belgian Spirits Company in Landen goes back to 2005 when the founder, Pieter-Jan Frooninckx, created a vineyard in the garden of his parental home. They created HAVN Gin, and then HAVN Rum was launched in 2017. The HAVN name was to evoke the feeling of returning to a harbour after travel. They rebranded to Belgian Spirits Co in 2019 and moved to a new facility in Leuven, where offices and the rum is blended. HAVN Rum is a collection of three selection rums and one overproof rum. Created by master blender PJ Frooninckx, added natural spices and fruit aromas to create highly distinct and sophisticated rums. HAVN HAV Rum is inspired by Havana with Raw Cacao, Vanilla & Mandarine. HAVN GEO Rum is inspired by Georgetown and reminiscent of smoky English-style rum with scents of cardamon and cloves. HAVN MRS Rum is Mauritius French-style rum with notes of fennel seed, grape & lavender. HAVN Overproof Rum was specially created as a rum for bartenders. You’ll find HAVN Rum
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The Nectar
The Nectar was started in 2006 as an independent distributor and bottler. Initially focused on whiskies from all over the world, their passion for spirits gradually expanded to include drinks such as rum, Armagnac, cognac, and more recently, calvados and grappa. Today, The Nectar is the top independent bottler in Belgium with over 2000 products, 600 of which are exclusive, primarily through wine and liquor stores and wholesale distributors in Belgium. They bottle their own range of international rums which can be found at stores and online.
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Brussels-Capital
Officially bilingual, French and Dutch, this is a relatively small and urban area within the Flemish Brabant province. But, it’s the capital of Europe for the EU, and is the rich cultural and gastronomic heart of Belgian heritage. This is where many Belgian adventures begin and is home to some local rum experiences worth seeking out.
Brussels Distillery
Founded in 2019 by Alexis and Serge Brabant with the idea of bringing the artisan spirit back to Brussels. The distillery produces handmade spirits like Gin, Vodka, Rum and Grappa. Brussels Rum or Brussels Distillery Oak Aged Rum is a small batch production of sugarcane fermented, distilled and matured at the distillery in Brussels. Aged in a blend of French, American and whiskey oak for a few months. You can book a visit to the craft distillery to learn how they distill their rum and pick up a bottle.
Find out more on Brussels Distillery
Rhum Attitude Bruxelles
Founded by Olivier Mignon in the early 2010s, Rhum Attitude is a spirit merchant specialising in rum with both an online store and a boutique near the Grand Place in Brussels. The team includes Olivier, Nico, Yoann, Florian and Florian. Rhum Attitude has a strong online presence but also bottles its own range of international rums as single cask releases, which you can find at their store. They host regular events and tastings and are a must-stop in Brussels for rum lovers.
Find out more on Rhum Attitude Bruxelles
Wallonia
In southern Belgium, Wallonia’s landscape is more varied and rugged with rolling hills and forests of the Ardennes in the south-east, the central plateau, and fertile valleys. Wallonia historically has a strong industrial heritage, particularly around the Meuse River valley. The five provinces within Wallonia are Walloon Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, and Namur.
So’Rhumantic
The brand is a creation of arranged rums, Rhum arrangé, created in 2020 by Fabian Pierre. Inspired by Fabian’s passion for wine, spirits and gastronomy, he developed the recipes. The sugarcane juice rum is from Marie-Galante in Guadeloupe and is blended with sugar syrup and fruits from around the world. So’Rhumantic combines Belgian and international ingredients to honour his origins while preserving rum culture.
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Ardent Spirits
Founded by Laurence Dupont and Roberto Fernandez, two passionate lovers of natural products, joined forces in 2016 and opened Les Vintrépides, an organic wine shop in the heart of Liège, in the En Neuvice. Two years later, they launched a gin, and then they developed a range of spirits with the Noblesse 1882 distillery in Sprimont. Ardent Spirits is a nod to Liege’s nickname, ‘la cité ardente’. They distill and age natural spirits including gin, rum, whiskey, amaro and pastis in Belgium. Rum Ardent Organic rum is made from pure organic sugarcane juice, from a cooperative in Paraguay. The distillate is then aged for 3 years in oak barrels containing Belgian Whisky and 3 months of finishing in Muscat de Rivesaltes barrels. Ardent Spirit Vermeil Rum is aged for 3 years in oak barrels that contain bourbon, followed by 3 months of finishing in Maury barrels from the Clos des Vins d’Amour in the Roussillon. You’ll find Ardent Spirits rum at stores across Belgium and in bars.
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Distillerie Du Fays
Located in Sprimont, Wallonia, Distillerie Du Fays was founded in 2018. The distillery was owned by Alain Joiret, who created the distillery, but in April 2025, Jérôme and Loïc (pictured) announced they had bought the distillery. Their rum range includes Verdomme Rum, a Colombian white rum flavoured by maceration of orange blossom and Buddha’s Hand lemon. The rum is made using a 250-litre copper pot still named “Camille.” They also produce a wide range of other spirits, such as gin, liqueurs, and eaux-de-vie. Distillerie Du Fays products are sold across the region.
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Phoenix Distillery
The Phoenix Distillery in Trois-Ponts was formerly Dr. Clyde Distillery, established in 2015, making it Belgium’s first rum distillery. The distillery crafts its rums from organic sugarcane molasses imported from South America. These sugars undergo a lengthy and entirely spontaneous fermentation process in their workshop, followed by a double distillation in pot stills. Rums are aged in a variety of barrels, including new casks, former Port or Sherry barrels, and ex-Bourbon barrels, depending on the specific requirements. Additionally, some rums are created to produce a range of sweeter, milder options with notes from vanilla to fruity. The current “Classic Rum” in the portfolio is a 2023 release, matured for 42 months in former Sherry casks. In 2025, a cask-strength rum will be aged in a former Pedro Ximenez barrel. While rum is the distillery’s primary product, they also offer whiskies, gins, absinthe, and pastis. All products are distilled and made authentic, artisanal, and traditional by a dedicated couple. The distillery welcomes visitors for tours every Saturday between 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., where you can taste and buy their rum. The Phoenix Distillery celebrates its 10th anniversary in August 2025, with several celebratory events planned.
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Wave Distil SRL
The distillery is in Dinant is between the banks of the Meuse and the green hills. Set in a traditional farmhouse built of local stone and exposed wooden beams, it’s been carefully transformed to accommodate modern distilling facilities. They produce whisky, vodka, gin, aperitifs, rum and other creations. Using two copper stills, the first, a swan-neck still, is traditionally used in the manufacture of spirits. The second, a Charentais still, is typical of the Cognac region, making it unique to Belgium. Their rum is called Little G White Rum and is distilled from sugarcane juice in the French West Indies. Rhum Little G Vieux Oak Aged is column-distilled rum and then placed directly into high-quality barrels for the full term that has previously contained Sauternes and aged 3 years. You can visit the distillery, and it has a restaurant, Bistro Gourmand you can reserve to enjoy local dishes and try the rum.
Find out more on Wave Distil SRL
Distillerie du Moulin du Loup
Set in a former water mill near La Louvière, the distillery was established by Maximilien Hayet. He settled on producing Belgian rums and gins from fermentation to bottling. It is an artisanal distillery using traditional pot still production methods. Moulin du Loup has a passion and curiosity for making good rum. Moulin du Loup White Rum is fermented from a highly aromatic organic sugarcane molasses to develop maximum aromas. Created from a Belgian artisanal recipe, it’s bottled unaged. Moulin du Loup Traditional Brown Rum has been matured with American oak from whiskey barrels, creating a dry woody spirit. They produce spiced rum and rum cream as well. You can book a visit to discover the rum-making process and pick up a bottle.
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Where to Enjoy Rum in Belgium
Antwerp: Dogma (pictured), BELROY’s Bijou, Jones & Co, BelRoy’s at Nine, Bar Burbure, Bijou Balls & Booze, Marigold
Bruges: Bar Ran, Groot Vlaenderen, BAR ‘N, La Casita
Brussels: The Modern Alchemist, Floris Garden Bar, La Pharmacie Anglaise, Fox Den Cocktail Bar, Chemistry & Botanic’s
Charleroi: La Rhumerie
Ghent: The Drifter, Jigger’s, De Alchemist, Why Not
Kortrijk: Social Club
Leuven: Sinatra Leuven, Cocktailbar – Professor
Liege: Tam-Tam Bambou, Il rischio
Namur: Boulevard du Rhum
Oostende: Rumbrennerei Louis
Belgium’s rich beer-making history dates back millennia and has embedded sociable gatherings into the country’s social fabric. Brewers also make good distillers. These strong foundations and the more recent cocktail culture boom have seen the appreciation for fine spirits like rum. The uniqueness of Belgium is that you’ll find treasure troves of rum in Tobacco shops and stores. They host regular rum tastings, you can go local, hidden in plain sight. The final Salon Du Rhum festival was held in Spa in October 2024. However, there’s Spirits In The Sky, and plenty of rum experiences on your travels throughout Belgium. From Brussels, you can easily jump on a train to Ghent, Antwerp, Liège and Bruges to make day trips easier and still enjoy the rum.
For more general travel advice on Belgium Tourism
View all the Belgian rum brands on our Belgium Rum Map
By train, you can also visit neighbouring countries: the Netherlands Rum Map, Germany Rum Map and France Rum Map, which all have rum guides.
Thanks to the brands for contributing to this article and for permission to use their images. Other image credits to Canva Pro and user contributions.
