Clairin. Clairin is a sugarcane spirit produced by *truly* ancestral methods in the Caribbean country of Haiti. If you’re a spirit geek who loves the history and traditions behind spirits, this is the stuff of your dreams. Flavorwise, it’s comparable to agricole-style rums (made from fresh sugarcane juice), but like, on steroids in terms of intensity.

This is the mezcal of the sugarcane world, born from the small towns and made by the people, for the people. In Haiti, there are no large-scale operations, but over 500 micro-producers/distilleries (compared to under 50 across the *entire* rest of the Caribbeans). It’s pretty much a commodity, sold in town shops or on the side of roads in plastic jugs, BYOB-style – bring your own bottle to fill.

Haiti gained its independence from French rule thru African slave revolts at the start of the 1800s, leading to the formation of a country with little experience in politics and formal governance, and neglect from Western worlds to ‘modernize’ the country thru the Industrial Revolution. As a result, cultural activity and processes are still very traditional, including the production of their national spirit, pretty much made the same way it was 200+ years ago.

Only Haitian indigenous sugarcane, no chemicals/pesticides/fertilizers, no modern distilling equipment beyond stills they had access to in the 1700s pre-revolt days, no yeast is added for fermentation (only wild yeasts from the air), no machinery for processing the cane or even for transportation (only animal-drawn carts or on foot). This is truly a magical spirit that is not only a sip of history and true agricultural purity, but one of the most delicious liquids I’ve ever tasted.