In just a few short years, Morgan Ricci and his brother Esteban have propelled their rum brand, Famille Ricci, to the pinnacle of global excellence. Starting from a family garage in Mougins, where they assembled, matured and bottled their own rums, they have succeeded in imposing their bold vision, multiplying awards and ambitious projects. Today, under the name Ricci’Spirits, they open up to the public with a boutique, tours, workshops and training courses. They are also extending their expertise to other spirits, and are about to make history with the production of the Côte d’Azur’s first whisky. A look back at an extraordinary adventure with founder and partner Morgan Ricci.
► Morgan, how did you get into the rum bottling business?
It’s a passion passed down from my father. He wasn’t involved in alcohol production, but he did own a business in Cannes, La Chunga, which sold quality spirits. I grew up in this world, tasting exceptional products. In fact, I was thinking of taking over the business as an adult. When my father finally sold La Chunga, I wondered what I was going to do. I loved wines, champagnes and spirits, so I started out as a salesman for various houses for six years. Then I became a technical salesman and learned more about production. After that, I ran a winery in Antibes with my ex-girlfriend. It was there that I discovered many different types of rum and met some fascinating producers.
► Was that when things really clicked for you?
Exactly. I’d always kept the idea of producing my own in the back of my mind. My favorite spirit was Cognac, for its elegance and complexity. But Cognac production is highly regulated and that didn’t suit me, because I wanted to innovate. I turned to rum, and was going to become a bottler, blending juices from all over the world, and creating my own cuvées. For four years, I traveled and visited many distilleries to learn as much as I could. I took courses at the École des Spiritueux in Cognac and read a lot, even though I’d never read a book in my life except the Harry Potter books! I experimented at home, testing aging with different woods, to forge my own method.
► Why rum bottler and not distiller?
Firstly, for practical reasons: investing in a distillery requires a huge budget and specific technical knowledge, which was not my strong point. Secondly, it allowed me to travel and select quality rums. Blending is essential: ageing accounts for 50-70% of the final aroma of an old spirit.
► When exactly did the Rhum Ricci adventure begin?
In 2019, in Mougins. At the age of 29, I arrived with a new philosophy: ageing in different types of wood and qualitative assemblies. In a conservative environment, this came as a surprise. We started with four cuvées, accessible rums at 40 degrees. By 2020, we had produced and sold 5,000 bottles, compared with the 2,000 I had planned.
► Why did you launch your business in Mougins?
I’m a local boy, very attached to the area. I grew up in the commune, on chemin du Fassum and also at my grandmother’s house on chemin de Pibonson. It was in her garage and her house that we set up our first barrels and started the adventure! I was soon joined by my younger brother Esteban, who became my partner. It’s a family story. In fact, the bottle of our first cuvée Dynasty, which brings together all the world’s rum families in the image of a large, united family, bears the effigy of the man who raised me, Roger Ferrer, to whom I wanted to pay tribute.
► In 2021, you win the title of best rum in the world…
It was the biggest competition ever organized exclusively for rum. The jury was made up of international experts, and the tasting was spread over a month, with detailed information sheets for each product. One day, I received a call from the competition president. He told me we’d won six medals, including two finalists. Then he tells me that we’ve won the title of best rum in the world in all categories with L’OVNI numéro 2! It was a daring blend of an exceptional rum from a closed distillery with another from a totally different production. At first, I was told it was “insulting” to do so. But it was precisely with this rum that we won!
► How did it feel?
When I heard the news, I broke down and burst into tears. All the pressure and all the years of work just fell away. Very quickly, this award changed our trajectory. Skeptics and critics were blown away, and professional opinion really changed. The impact was enormous, and retailers naturally came to us. We have around 500 wine merchants in France who distribute our products… From 2022, we also started exporting, mainly to Europe and Asia, and volumes rose to 30,000 bottles produced per year.
► You have continued to grow
In 2023, we invested in new machinery, such as the automatic bottling machine, to cope with growing demand. We have increased our capacity to 80,000 bottles by 2024. We’ve been winning more and more awards. We have just won the title of World’s Best Independent Bottler 2024 in front of over 500 participants on the world’s largest platform dedicated to rum, the RumX app.
► You’ve also just moved into new premises, taking on the Ricci’ Spirits name. Tell us about your plans…
We have moved into new 500 m² premises in the heart of Actipark. While continuing to bottle rums, we will be expanding our product range, and becoming experts in spirits in the broadest sense, this time with the direct distillation of spirits such as whisky, gin, pastis, limoncello, as well as liqueurs based on local fruits and plants. Hence the name Ricci’Spirits. To achieve this, we have acquired one of the most efficient stills in Europe. It enables us to obtain very intense and aromatic alcohols!
► This will be the first whisky produced on the Côte d’Azur!
That’s right! But you’ll need a little patience. Legislation requires a minimum ageing period, and three years are needed before the alcohol produced officially becomes whisky.
► Another new feature: you can now welcome the public …
Yes, we have a boutique where we sell our products directly. Customers can taste before they buy, right on the production site.
► There will also be tours and workshops?
Exactly. Starting in April, we’ll be offering guided tours of the distillery every Wednesday and Saturday, with three time slots: 3pm, 4pm and 5pm. Tours must be booked in advance, either on site or via our website. We’ll also be offering a variety of workshops. For example, rum creation workshops where participants can compose their own blend of rums. They’ll go home with their own bottle. We’ll also be offering gin blending workshops, where everyone can create their own recipe using spices and fruit. Finally, we’ll be organizing tasting evenings, masterclasses and lectures on a variety of subjects.
► You are also planning training courses for professionals…
We will be offering training courses for professionals in the sector, such as wine merchants and sales staff. These courses will be dedicated to mastering spirits and the art of tasting. Very few establishments offer this type of training, and there’s a real shortage.
► You also have an ambitious multi-activity project in Mougins. Can you tell us a little more about it?
Yes, in the more or less long term, we hope to create an estate here in Mougins that combines production, museum and leisure activities. There would be an immersive space with 3D projections, a rooftop terrace with tapas, and even a botanical garden. It would be a lively place for locals and tourists alike, and a real asset for the development of our Mougins region. To be continued…
To find out more: https: //www.famillericci.com/
609 Route de la Roquette, Mougins
Tel: 04 83 93 83 65