“Mother Mesccia”, Monaco's long-lost treasure

A cultural heritage of the Principality of Monaco has been revived in a modern version with a project bringing together the Mediterranean and the Caribbean in the name of high-quality rum.

“Mother Mesccia” is an excellent rum produced from the world's best sugar cane, with a production process that starts in Haiti and ends in the Principality of Monaco. 

This new, never-before-attempted project stems from a desire to revive an ancient tradition of the Principality - the historic "mesccia" dating back to the time of ancient sailing ships. 

In the 17th century, the Principality of Monaco was major trade hub. Traffic between the port of Monte Carlo and distant lands included exotic products variously used across the continent. Among them was Caribbean rum, which Genoese sailors brought from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean for the specific purpose of exchanging it for local citrus fruits which they needed to prevent scurvy, a real scourge on sailing ships in those days. 

One of the Principality's traditions was to mix the then-exotic rum with other European spirits, specifically vermouth and Marsala. Genoese sailors called the result of these blends "mesccia", from a Genoese dialect word indicating a mixture or mix. 

"Mesccia" soon became part of Monaco's culture, but was gradually lost over time until it was almost forgotten. 

However, traces of its existence remain in old archives. In the 2000s, the Principality decided to revive this ancient drink. 

The initial idea was to reproduce the ancient recipe by making rum right in the Principality. It was decided to use sugar cane grown in Spain and imported pre-pressed. However, the results could not meet expectations - rum produced that way cannot achieve high quality standards, and this compromises the final result. 

That's when the Principality turned to Luca Gargano as one of the world's leading rum experts to provide a solution that could revive the tradition of "mesccia" by creating a high-quality product.

It was in 2021 that HRH Prince Albert II proposes to revive this ancient tradition of “mesccia.” And immediately Luca Gargano offers his vision for the project. 

The final idea came together gradually and was based on the concept that today - as three centuries ago - the world's best rum is produced in the Caribbean, the main reason being the quality of the sugar cane. 

In addition, as Luca pointed out, in the twenty-first century the ancient recipe for “mesccia” could no longer be followed faithfully as it requires adding Marsala and vermouth to rum - perhaps a suitable mix for the taste of the time, but certainly at odds with today's knowledge and preferences.

Luca therefore suggested ageing the rum using barrels that have previously contained fortified wine. This would make it possible to stay as true to the recipe as possible while adapting the product to our century. 

As for rum, Luca's plan was to craft an excellent spirit, produced in Europe but with the same quality as Caribbean-made rum. 

The idea was to use the best raw ingredients available. And there was no doubt in Luca's mind that the best sugarcane is a very rare non-hybridized variety from Haiti called Crystalline - hard, thin, but extremely sweet and aromatic.

However, since shipping syrup all the way to Europe would compromise quality, Luca's suggestion was to exploit the advantages of double distillation. 

The first distillation would happen in Haiti, while the second would be carried out in the Principality of Monaco. 

It's an idea that Luca Gargano himself defined as "quite simple, although no one has ever thought of it before" - an elegant solution that also saves energy and has beneficial implications for the ecosystem. 

But more importantly, taking the world's best sugar cane and importing the juice after the first distillation ensures excellent results without sacrificing the idea of producing the final spirit in Monaco. 

It was November 10th 2021 when the Prince lets Luca that he is very happy to approve “this somewhat crazy project,” as he calls it. 

And that's how it began. 

It all starts with Crystalline sugar cane grown on Michel Sajous's land in Saint-Michel-de-l'Attalaye, Haiti. The specific variety Sajous grows on several hectares is the red one, producing exceptional juice - the same excellent raw ingredient his Clairin Sajous is made from. The initial process for "Mother Mesccia" follows the same steps as Providence, the rum Velier produces in Haiti. Sajous harvests the sugar cane, squeezes it and supervises the fermentation of pure cane juice. He then distills the fermented juice once in a water bath in a batch still. 

The still is a 380-liter Mueller located in Saint-Michel-de-l'Attalaye, designed with the help of Vittorio "Gianni" Capovilla and installed in cooperation with Spirit of Haiti and Distillerie de Port au Prince.

The first spirit obtained is a semi-finished product with an ABV between 22% and 34%. It's stored in drums and sent to Port-au-Prince with the cooperation and supervision of Herbert Linge. From there, it's shipped to Monaco-Montecarlo. 

The second distillation takes place in a Khote still in Monaco at L’Orangerie / Distillerie de Monaco, the first and only distillery in the Principality founded in 2017 in the heart of the elegant Condamine district. Small and located in an urban setting, the distillery strictly follows artisanal production methods. The Master Distiller here is Philip Culazzo.  

The cutting of the heads and tails, the most creative, skill-based step, takes place in Monaco. This is one of the reasons the final product can be considered as produced in the Principality. 

In short, what this unique production process is all about is taking excellent sugar cane grown thousands of kilometers from Europe and distilling its essence in the small urban spaces of a Monegasque distillery.

"After all, right from the start my secret motto about Haitian rum has been 'From Cinderella to princess’. This means helping the Cinderella of rum - i.e. Haitian rum - turn into the princess she deserves to be. I think this project perfectly embodies that dream," comments Luca. 

Once the rum is ready, it remains unclear how it will age in Monaco. While waiting for the final result, however, Luca also came up with the idea of bottling the white rum obtained from the process. 

It’s the base twenty-first century Mesccia will be made from - the white rum first distilled in Haiti and then again in Monaco, in itself a top-quality product. The pure juice of Crystalline sugar cane grown in the Grand Cru of Saint-Michel-de-l'Attalaye and an extremely long fermentation with native yeasts ensure the result is an excellent rum in its own right. 

It's a white spirit we can call "the mother of Mesccia", i.e. Mother Mescia. 

"Mother Mesccia" is an artisanal product that can be enjoyed straight but is also perfect for mixing. The packaging Luca designed reflects the idea of a fruit spirit - sugar cane is in fact more similar to a fruit than a grain crop, as is the case with whisky. White rum is also the most authentic, original expression of sugar cane, which is much more perceptible in white than in aged rum. 

The first shipping of the distilled semi-finished product was arranged in Haiti in 2022 for a total of five drums. The second was in July 2023 for ten drums. The third in June 2024 included forty drums. 

The alcohol content of these first spirits varies year over year, as the sugar content of the sugar cane changes depending on the season. It was 26% in 2022, 25% in 2023 and 22.9% in 2024. 

A total of 55 drums over three years for 2,698.59 liters of spirit to be distilled again yielded 2,499.58 liters after the second distillation, with an ABV of 47%.

Technically produced in partnership with the different parties involved, with the coordination of Velier and the patronage of the Principality of Monaco, "Mother Mesccia" and the new Mesccia - which will be ready after ageing - gave rise to a new rum processed to the highest quality standards, an artisanal HoGo HoGo product that opens up new opportunities for more experiments.  

It will all start with aging the rum in ex vermouth and ex Marsala barrels to produce Mesccia. As Luca explains, this recipe has never been tested before and it will still be essential to keep an eye on the evolution of the spirit and consider any adjustments he may need to make. 

“We also have Neisson barrels ready for ageing, because when you factor in the bitterness of vermouth we have no idea how the spirit might evolve”. 

From there, other variants might be tested, for example involving different Caribbean sugar cane varieties or types of wood for aging.