Rum is all about where it’s made. While the ingredients don’t differ a whole lot, the process does, so much so that a Belizean rum likely won’t taste anything like one from the Dominican Republic. Turns out, many of the best rums come from Haiti, where the production levels are unlike anything else in the Caribbean.
Meet clairin, the rum-esque of Haiti. In the Caribbean, it’s a big deal. While an estimated 50 or so rum producers exist elsewhere in the tropical region, Haiti is home to something to the tune of 600. These small clairin makers focus on small-batch rum, made in the traditional Haitian way.
To sip on the stuff is to experience a part of Haiti and a taste of the rural farms where the sugarcane is grown and often processed. Basically, if you like rum, and the un-aged options especially, you’re going to fall for clairin.
History of clairin
Like so many spirits, especially those tied to rum, clairin is connected to a sour part of history. Enslaved people learned how to distiller sugarcane and would make batches of clairin in a relatively straightforward way. Early on and still in certain arenas today, clairin plays a big part in Voodoo ceremonies. Spiritual rituals tend to involve pouring some out both for the ghosts and the mortal humans.
While it’s likely some simplified version was made even earlier, clairin likely really took hold in the mid-1700s with the introduction of European stills. It remains a prominent drink today, full of national pride and a slew of small producers, many making just enough for their villages.
Perhaps most interestingly, the spirit has not really been altered much over time. Clairin has not been eaten up by big international corporations and sent all over the planet like, say, rum and tequila. That’s not to say there aren’t quality versions of these easier-to-find spirits but with clairin, it’s nice to know that by in large you’re getting a very Haitian good.
How clairin is different
Clairin translates from French-Haitian Creole to mean clear, or the color of the spirit. As you might expect based on that hue, it’s a cleaner, leaner take on rum. Derived from sugarcane juice or sugarcane syrup (as opposed to molasses, like so many rums), it’s mostly made with native yeast and distilled just once, as opposed to multiple times like most contemporary spirits. Think of clairin as a closer relative to something like cachaça or rhum agricole.
Because it’s not diluted or hit with any other ingredients, clairin offers some terroir in a glass. The sugarcane varieties are native to Haiti and have not be hybridized. Better still, there are hundreds of them, adding complexity to the finished product. You get those lively grassy notes along with some sweetness and a pinch of earth. Sometimes, you even get some woodsy and vegetal notes, making it a fascinating sipper. Clairin is pure, raw, and wonderful.
Witnessing the process can be a sight, as some of the more traditional operations do just about everything by hand and even press the sugarcane with old turnstiles pulled by livestock. The fermentation is slow and the distillation tends to take place in a copper pot still.
How to enjoy clairin, Haitian style
Haitians love clairin neat on special occasions like birthdays or holidays. It’s also a sipper for casual meet-ups, not unlike a beer in the states or a Vermouth in Spain. They drink it on its own, mix it with fruit juices and sodas, or use it as the base for a cocktail. Try a Kremas around the holidays, which mixes up the spirit with coconut milk and baking spices, or a sour made with lime, salt, sugar, and honey.
Because it’s un-aged, you want to treat it more like a white rum or rhum agricole than anything else. We at The Manual love to take in all the details with a simple neat pour or with a little dash of grapefruit bitters or twist of lime. Do as the Haitians do and pair it up with something like joumou, a squash soup. Cockfighting is not advised (and illegal here in the states), but that’s another venue where you’re like to see Haitians enjoying their native spirit.
While still not incredibly easy to find here in the states, the situation is improving. Thanks to heightened interest in both lighter spirits and ones that really tell the story of their origin, we’re seeing more Haitian bottles in specialty store shelves. Look out for quality brands like Clairin Sajous or Clairin Vaval. Bring it up the next time you’re at your favorite bottle shop and see if the staff can request some if they don’t have any already. This is a spirit you’ll want to get acquainted with.
We’ve got more cool reads about everything from the controversy of terroir to a Haitian food guide. Be sure to check out The Manual’s best rums for Daiquiri’s feature too, while we’re on the topic. When you know what you’re drinking and eating, the act is all the more enjoyable.
