[img_assist|nid=44561|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=282|height=439]Just as wine lovers tour the Route des Vins in France, when in Martinique, they follow the Route des Rhums. Here they discover what true connoisseurs of rum have known for years – Martinique rums are among the finest found anywhere. A trip along the Route des Rhums offers the surest way to learn how Martinique became known as “The Rum Capital of the World,” a title it has held since the 18th century.
Martinique rums have been awarded the prestigious French designation Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, previously reserved for only the finest wines in France. Its rums are carefully made in accordance with the highest standards of the AOC, the governing rules for rhum agricole production.
The island has 11 distilleries producing more than 17 varieties of rums du terroir, as well as many local rum liqueurs flavored with coconut, passion fruit or with orange which is known as shrubb. Visitors to Martinique soon realize that there is a rum for every palate, while the passionate, more seasoned connoisseurs appreciate the island’s vintage dark rum, often compared to a superb cognac.
On the North Atlantic, in the town of Sainte-Marie at the Saint-James distillery, visitors can explore the Rum Museum. Here they learn the history of sugarcane and rum-making from 1765 to today through an extensive exhibit and exquisite prints. Outside in a magnificent garden, the vestiges of this tradition enthral visitors with majestic windmills, distilled pipes, an antique sugar cane locomotive and huge oak barrels. At the end of the tour, the many varieties of rums are available for a tasting and purchase.
Twice a year, there are festivities celebrating rum-making. During the third week of June, people gather at the distillery to celebrate the end of the sugarcane cutting season at the Harvest Festival with music, dancing, and of course, rum tasting. In 2006, the museum was renovated and now boasts a genuine traditional Creole village and a conference center for meetings and incentive travel.
In December, the Rum Festival invites rum lovers to visit and enjoy a rich selection of the island’s finest rum products.
Other distilleries in this area are the Saint-Etienne Distillery in Gros-Morne, whose white rum has received several gold medals, and in Trinité, the small family-owned Hardy Distillery and Le Galion, the only sugar factory still in operation since its creation in 1865.
In the South, distilleries La Mauny in the town of Rivière-Pilote, Trois-Rivières in Sainte-Luce and Habitation Clément in François are worth discovering. The latter from the 18th century is part of an estate with an extraordinary seventeen acres Botanical Park with more than 300 tropical plants, a distillery no longer in operation but stocking 1.5 million liters of rum aged in oak barrels. The main house is classified as an historic monument and has an exhibit space, La Case à Léo, where many Caribbean artists show their works. This estate is famous for the summit meeting between Presidents Bush and Mitterand in March 1991. Rhum Clément is now offering flavored rum products to attract younger clients.
On the North Caribbean Coast, two distilleries are well-worth visiting. The Distillery Depaz, built in the shadow of Mount Pelée in Saint-Pierre, which received two Silver Medals in 2004 in Paris for its white 55-proof rum and its dark aged rum, and the Distillery Neisson, the smallest distillery in Martinique with only forty acres of sugarcane fields boasting a 2005 Rhum Agricole Gold Medal awarded in Brussels in 2005.
Further along the Route des Rhums is La Favorite, the other Rhum Agricole producer set in the town of Le Lamentin. Their rum is made from freshly squeezed cane juice at a small family estate where quality is the most important ingredient. At the Distillery Dillon in the capital of Martinique, Fort-de-France, the restaurant on the estate is surrounded by an enchanting garden. And since sugarcane is the main ingredient in the fabrication of rum, do not forget to stop by the Sugar Cane museum in the town of Trois-Ilets.
The tour of Martinique distilleries cannot be complete without a visit to the J.M. distillery in the North, in the town of Macouba. This distillery, founded in 1845, produces its rum from its own sugarcane and its white 50-proof rum has received numerous medals, most recently a Gold Medal in 2005.
Throughout Martinique visitors can sample and purchase local rums. And finally, at Le Lamentin airport, “La Case à Rhum” is there for the last-minutes purchases.
For those who can’t make it to Martinique, Martinican rums can be found at exclusive retail shops in the United States:
Caribbean Spirits, represented by Edward Hamilton, a savvy rum connoisseur, distributes Rum Neisson and La Favorite. For more information, please contact Caribbean Spirits – Tel: 312 286 1995, or
Email: ed@MinistryOfRum.com.
Benjamin Jones, grandson of Rum Clément founder, Mr. Homère Clément, distributes rum Clément in the United States. For more information, please contact Clément USA – Tel: 207 232 6633, or
Email: ben.jones@rhums-clement.com