LAODI Distillery Visit, Part 1: A Reunion, a Feast, and the Beginning of a “Miracle Story” — Agricole Rum in Laos

2026.10.05

In short: my visit to LAODI, a rum distillery in Laos founded by Japanese entrepreneur Ikuzo Inoue. Since around 2005 he has cleared virgin forest to plant sugar cane, making rum by the agricole method from freshly pressed cane juice. I joined the Japan Rum Association’s 3rd LAODI Distillery Tour 2026. Part 1 of my LAODI report by Mika Tanimoto, owner of Bar Little Happiness, a rum and whisky bar in Hiroshima, Japan.

I visited LAODI distillery in Laos, a country where Asia’s original landscapes still remain vividly alive.

I first met LAODI’s representative, Mr. Ikuzo Inoue, around 2016 or 2017.

It was at a small JICA-related talk I happened to find, with only about 15 people in the room.

I was deeply shaken by his vision of “social contribution” and “making spirits”: supporting local people in a foreign land while making a rum the world can be proud of.

Joining the Japan Rum Association’s LAODI tour

This time, I joined the “Japan Rum Association 3rd LAODI Distillery Visit & Laos Experience Tour 2026.”

Mr. Inoue had told me, “I’m sure you’ll have some interesting encounters,” so even though I usually travel alone or in a very small group, I decided to join.

From Kansai Airport to Hanoi, and from there to Laos! It was pretty far, lol.

(The airport we stopped at in transit — beautiful architecture built with Chinese money!!)

Surprisingly, there were people who had come to my bar, and people who had worked with me as suppliers — the whisky and rum world really is small! lol.

The trip began with way too much food, and from start to finish it was a gathering of people who share the same passion. A fun start!

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Sugar cane fields carved out of virgin forest: the heart of agricole rum

When we arrived at the distillery, fields of sugar cane stretched as far as the eye could see — land Mr. Inoue had cleared from virgin forest and cultivated since around 2005.

This is the lifeblood of the “agricole method,” in which freshly pressed sugar cane juice is fermented as it is.

(↓ It’s a long video, but please watch it — you’ll feel like you’ve been to LAODI (I recommend 2x speed).)

Standing there in person, watching the staff at work and receiving a warm welcome from Mr. Sihata Lasong, Mr. Inoue’s irreplaceable partner,

I felt in my skin that this is not just a production site, but something alive as “the pride of Laos.”

Mr. Inoue once had a formative experience at a winery in Shinshu (Nagano): “Making alcohol is about bringing people together.”

On this trip, the time we spent laughing with so many friends, beyond position or age, felt like proof that this philosophy has taken shape here in Laos.

But for a foreigner to build — and keep running — a distillery that represents the nation in socialist Laos is no ordinary feat.

Behind it was the story of an “unknown miracle” that defined LAODI as it is today.

Part 2 of my LAODI report continues to the heart of this story: the moment of the “miracle” achieved in a single week. Please stay with me to the end.

Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.

**Faces of people who are not publicly active have been blurred.**

[A note from Tanimoto] This article about LAODI distillery is based on my own visit, but it also includes some of my personal thoughts and interpretations. Please enjoy it as the musings of one rum lover.