Clairin

{{Short description|Distilled spirit made from cane sugar produced in Haiti}} {{Infobox drink | name = Clairin | image = San_Zanj_clairin.png | caption = A bottle of San Zanj, a brand of Haitian clairin | type = Distilled beverage | origin = Haiti | introduced = 18th century | color = Clear | related = rum, rhum agricole | region = Caribbean | footnotes = Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1 }}

'''Clairin''' ({{IPAc-en|k|l|eɪ|'|r|ɛ|n|}}, {{IPA|fr|klɛʁɛ̃}}, {{langx|ht|Kleren}}) is a distilled alcoholic spirit made from sugarcane produced in Haiti, that undergoes the same distillation process as rhum, although not as refined.<ref name="Historical Dictionary">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2mJB8hZzjxIC&q=Clairin+haiti&pg=PA64 |title=Historical Dictionary of Haiti |author=Hall, Michael R. |page=64 |year=2012 |isbn=9780810878105 |access-date=12 June 2015}}</ref> They have become popular outside of Haiti largely due to the efforts of Luca Gargano.<ref name="88bamboo"/><ref name="liquor"/> The name "clairin" is translated from kleren, the Haitian Creole word for "clear".<ref name="88bamboo">{{cite web |url=https://88bamboo.co/blogs/features/a-trip-through-clairin-the-spirit-of-haiti |title=A Trip Through Clairin, The Spirit of Haiti |publisher=88 Bamboo |last=111hotpot |orig-date=April 11, 2022 |access-date=2026-01-27 }}</ref>

There are between 500 and 600 micro-distilleries in Haiti, compared to fewer than 50 in total throughout the rest of the Caribbean.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/slow-food-presidia/traditional-haitian-clairin/|title=Traditional Haitian Clairin - Presìdi Slow Food|website=Slow Food Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.10best.com/interests/food-culture/clairin-haitis-organic-ancestral-rum-is-coming-to-america/|title=Clairin – Haiti's organic ancestral rum – is coming to America|date=2018-04-30|website=10Best|language=en|access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref> The distilleries known as guildives are artisan productions: most of them are small shacks dotted around the countryside producing for the consumption of their own villages. There is no government regulation for the creation process of clairin,<ref name="Gastro Obscura"/> however, the Haitian government created HaïRum, which is a certification mark granted to clairins which meet certain criteria.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asipi.org/cheers-to-haiti-for-its-newly-created-certification-mark-hairum/?lang=en |title=Cheers to Haiti for its newly created certification mark HaïRum |publisher=Asociación Interamericana de la Propiedad Intelectual |last=de Lespinasse |first=Christian |orig-date=4 November 2021 |access-date=2026-01-27 }}</ref>

Clairin is made from indigenous cane varieties, non-hybridized, with no chemical interference in the agriculture. They are spontaneously fermented with no yeast selected, distilled in traditional Creole stills using techniques from the mid-18th century, and are not filtered.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/clairin-rum-haiti|title=One of the Purest Rums on Earth Comes From Tiny Haitian Distilleries|website=Atlas Obscura|language=en|access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==History==

While under the colonial rule of the French, enslaved people working on sugar cane plantations learned how to distill fermented cane juice into a spirit, which they called "kill-devil".<ref name="Gastro Obscura">{{cite web |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/clairin-rum-haiti |title=Clairin |publisher=Gastro Obscura |last=Rummel |first=Rachel |access-date=2026-01-27 }}</ref> Clairins have been tied to Haitian vodou, where it's frequently used in ceremonies, such as being offered to the spirits,<ref name="liquor">{{cite web |url=https://www.liquor.com/articles/clairin-rum/ |title=Clairin Isn’t Just Rum—It’s a Cultural Emblem of Haiti |publisher=Liquor|last=Bossart |first=Céline |orig-date=01/25/21 |access-date=2026-01-27 }}</ref> and the two have been attributed to the success of the revolt against the French.<ref name="VinePair">{{cite web |url=https://vinepair.com/articles/clairin-haiti-spirit/ |title=The Haitian Spirit Rich With Terroir, Cultural Heritage, and Bartender Appeal | publisher=VinePair |last=Hillocks |first=Shanika |orig-date=June 21, 2019 |access-date=2026-01-27 }}</ref> Clairins were largely consumed entirely locally within Haiti until recently, largely due to the efforts of La Maison & Velier chief Luca Gargano, who wanted to introduce this unrefined, raw, and intensely flavored spirit to the world.<ref name="88bamboo"/><ref name="liquor"/>

==See also== *Rum *Rhum agricole *Haitian cuisine *Tafia

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Haitian distilled drinks Category:Haitian cuisine Category:Sugar-based alcoholic beverages Category:Sugar industry in Haiti