🥃 Ron de Venezuela

Ron de Venezuela is a designation of origin declared by Venezuela's intellectual property service (SAPI) in Resolution No. 798 of 15 August 2003, after an application from the Venezuelan chamber of the alcoholic beverages industry (CIVEA). The name may be applied only to rum in the exact sense given by the COVENIN standards, for the benefit of the producers grouped in CIVEA.

Zone. The territory of origin of the product and its raw material covers twelve states: Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, Cojedes, Lara, Yaracuy, Barinas, Portuguesa, Táchira and Trujillo in the centre-west, and Sucre and Monagas in the east.

Rules. The resolution rests on Decision 486 of the Andean Community and on the Venezuelan standard COVENIN 3040-93 for rum. It states that, under the regulation implementing the alcohol tax law, rum is a product aged for at least two years. Molasses from sugarcane grown in Venezuela is fermented, distilled and aged in oak barrels; the resolution claims that the climate lets the spirit age up to three times faster than in other countries.

Use and control. The right to use the name is granted by SAPI to those who work directly in making the product within the declared territory. The resolution urges the beneficiaries to set up a regulatory council or a similar body to control the use of the name.

Why this matters to you. The designation means rum of Venezuelan origin aged at least two years. Rum is a strong spirit, and the WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.