Clairin

How is Clairin made?

Clairin starts with fresh sugarcane juice that's fermented using wild yeasts naturally present in the environment, creating a funky, complex base that varies from distillery to distillery. The fermented wash gets distilled in small copper pot stills, usually just once or twice, preserving those bold, grassy flavors that make clairin so distinctive. Unlike many commercial rums, clairin skips the aging process entirely, going straight from the still into bottles at full proof, capturing the raw essence of Haitian terroir.

How do you drink Clairin?

Clairin shines brightest when sipped neat or with a single ice cube, allowing its wild, grassy flavors and funky agricole character to take center stage. This Haitian spirit also works beautifully in tiki-style cocktails and rum punches where its agricole backbone can complement tropical fruit flavors without getting lost. While some bartenders use it in classic daiquiris or ti' punch variations, clairin's bold personality makes it perfect for warm-weather drinking and festive occasions when you want something that stands apart from typical Caribbean rums.

How do I choose good Clairin?

Start by considering your cocktail plans—if you're mixing Ti' Punch or other traditional Haitian drinks, grab a funkier, more agricultural style like Sajous or Le Rocher, but for spirit-forward sips or modern cocktails, opt for something cleaner like Vaval. Your best bet is trying different distilleries since each producer's terroir and wild yeast create completely unique flavor profiles, from grassy and mineral to fruity and floral. Don't shy away from the higher-proof bottles either—that extra strength carries more character and won't get lost when you add lime and syrup.

Nutritional Information

Typical Calorie Range per Ounce: 65-70 calories

Typical Carbohydrate Range per Ounce: 0-0.1 grams

Typical Sugar Range per Ounce: 0 grams

Typically Gluten Free: Yes

Clairin, Haiti's traditional sugarcane spirit, follows the same nutritional profile as most unaged spirits. Since it's distilled from sugarcane juice rather than grains, it naturally contains no gluten. The distillation process removes virtually all carbohydrates and sugars, leaving behind pure ethanol and water. Like rum, whiskey, and vodka, clairin delivers its calories exclusively from alcohol content.

Keep in mind that individual producers may have slight variations in their process, so it's always smart to check the specific product label for detailed nutritional information and gluten-free confirmation, especially if you have celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity.

Scrolled this far? Your reward? Clairin Trivia!

1. Clairin distillers use wild yeast that literally floats through the air to start fermentation - no commercial yeast packets here. Each distillery develops its own unique yeast colony over decades, creating flavor profiles that can't be replicated anywhere else on Earth. Some distilleries have been nurturing the same yeast strains for over 100 years.
2. The sugar cane used for Clairin isn't your typical crop - it's grown completely organically by default because most Haitian farmers simply can't afford pesticides or fertilizers. This accidental organic farming creates incredibly pure, terroir-driven flavors that premium spirits producers spend fortunes trying to achieve.
3. Clairin gets distilled in medieval-looking copper pot stills that are often welded together from recycled materials like old oil drums and car parts. Despite their humble appearance, these frankenstein stills produce spirits so complex that master distillers from Scotland have made pilgrimages to Haiti just to study the techniques.
4. Each bottle of Clairin contains the essence of a specific microclimate - the same cane variety grown just a few miles apart can taste completely different due to variations in soil, elevation, and local weather patterns. It's like drinking liquid geography, with each sip telling the story of its exact hillside or valley.
5. Clairin was so good that it nearly caused an international incident in the 1800s when French colonial authorities tried to ban its production to protect their own rum exports. The spirit was considered so superior to imported alternatives that locals refused to switch, leading to underground distillation networks that operated like speakeasies decades before Prohibition hit America.