Boukman Botanical Rum
Boukman Botanical Rum is a 45% ABV (90 proof) Haitian clairin infused with seven groups of botanicals — cinnamon, bitter almond, vanilla, clove, allspice, bitter orange peel, and native woods and barks. It is rooted in the Haitian clairin trempé tradition of steeping rum with barks and spices as a tonic: fresh sugarcane juice is distilled into clairin in the Croix-des-Bouquets terroir, rested two years in stainless steel, then infused with the botanicals. Made and bottled in Haiti in collaboration with two local families, each five generations in the rum business, it is named for Dutty Boukman, the Vodou priest whose 1791 Bois Caïman ceremony launched the Haitian Revolution — and 10% of profits support education in Haiti through the non-profit Haiti Futur. Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Base: Fresh sugarcane juice (rhum agricole / clairin), not molasses
- Botanicals: 7 groups — cinnamon, bitter almond, vanilla, clove, allspice, bitter orange peel, 5 native woods & barks
- Origin: Haiti — Croix-des-Bouquets clairin terroir; made and bottled in Haiti
- Tradition: Clairin trempé — rum steeped with barks and spices
Clairin Trempé, Bottled
Before there were cocktail bars infusing spirits, there was trempé: Haitians steeping clairin with barks and roots as a fortifying tonic. Boukman is that tradition in a bottle — an independent Haitian brand built with two local rum families, not a corporate line extension. The grassy, vibrant cane-juice spirit drinks dry and savory, with the botanicals reading more like a spiced amaro's pantry than a sweetened rum's. Discover more rum and the Boukman collection.
Tasting Notes
The nose opens with clove, mace, and cardamom over grassy agricole cane. The palate is dry and savory — bark, marzipan, warm spice, and citrus peel — with hints of citrus, earth, and cinnamon and a long, dry finish.
How to Enjoy
Use it as a gin stand-in in a Negroni for a startlingly good twist, or mix a Haiti Libre and an Old Fashioned variation. Its dry botanical intensity also rewards sipping neat for the curious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boukman Botanical Rum a rum or a gin?
It is a rum — a botanical-infused Haitian clairin. Unlike gin, which starts from neutral spirit, Boukman starts from fresh sugarcane-juice distillate with real rum character, then adds botanicals in the clairin trempé tradition.
What is clairin trempé?
Clairin is Haiti's traditional fresh-sugarcane-juice spirit (a style of rhum agricole). Trempé is the practice of steeping it with barks, roots, and spices — originally as a tonic, now as a flavor tradition Boukman bottles directly.
Who was Dutty Boukman?
Dutty Boukman was the Vodou priest who led the 1791 Bois Caïman ceremony that sparked the Haitian Revolution. The rum is named in his honor.
A Haitian original with a cause — order Boukman Botanical Rum online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.