Region & History

The island's Rhum agricole is a child of the sugar crisis. Between 1884 and 1896, the sugar trade collapsed, many planters could no longer keep their factories running, and some began fermenting the fresh juice of the cane directly into rum. Necessity gave rise to a distinct rum style.

It was during these years that Habitation Clément in Le François was purchased. In 1887, Homère Clément, a doctor and the town's mayor, acquired the bankrupt Domaine de l'Acajou estate. According to the house, he opened his own distillery in 1917 and has since been regarded as the father of Rhum agricole. His son Charles gave the rum the family name after the Second World War.

Since 1986, the Habitation has belonged to Groupe Bernard Hayot, known as GBH. Distilling there stopped in 1988; the work is now carried out by Distillerie Simon, also in Le François, which also distills for HSE, the Habitation Saint-Étienne. The estate handles aging and bottling, and the Fondation Clément showcases contemporary art.

In the south, Trois-Rivières in Sainte-Luce tells a similar story. According to the estate, rum production there began in 1785, on land worked by enslaved people, abducted from Africa and forced to labor until the abolition of slavery. In 1994, the BBS group took over the estate. The group already owned La Mauny in Rivière-Pilote, which had been in the hands of the Bellonnie family since 1923. Since 2003/04, La Mauny has also distilled the rum for Trois-Rivières, and the distillery in Sainte-Luce is now closed.

Of Martinique's seven active distilleries, three are located in the center and south: Simon, La Favorite in Le Lamentin, and La Mauny. All distill Rhum agricole, protected since 1996 by the AOC "Rhum de la Martinique."