Episode 109

SHOW NOTES

One of the most important things to note about Saint Benevolence is the dedication to improving the lives of the people of Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. By channeling profits to Living Hope, a philanthropic organization founded by Chase’s father Calvin and native Haitian pastor Reverend Gueillant Dorcinvil.

A little bit about the charity:

• Since 20002, Calvin and Geuillant have opened 5 Schools (K-12)

• As of 2019, over 1500 Students have been educated through the system, which also includes a trade college that teaches practical skills like welding and brick laying

• Each school doubles as a primary care clinic to improve overall health and combat infant mortality and maternal morbidity.

• Visiting surgical teams from south Florida conduct around 350 free surgeries per year

• The charity also donates over 3 million meals per year

ABOUT CLAIRIN

Hailing from the legendary Clairin town of Saint Michel de l’Attalaye, Reverend Dorcinvil and his family own sugar cane and also operate a still, like many traditional farmer-distillers in Haiti. As a kid, Chase recalls visiting Haiti and seeing people producing and selling this clear spirit, which he recognized simply as “moonshine,” but really Clairin is so much more.

Produced in the tradition of Rhum Agricole, Clairin is traditionally made using pure cane juice (as opposed to molasses) – although the legendary “methode Saint Michel” processes that cane juice into a syrup, which alters the process slightly. Clairin in this fermented in open vats, using native yeasts to kick off the process and lend their unique terroir to the product. The distiller’s wine is then distilled in rustic (often French-style) pot stills and bottled un-aged.

SAINT BENEVOLENCE’S RUM PORTFOLIO

We tasted through Saint Benevolence’s two keystone products, which are a 5-year blended rum, drawing product from both Barbados and the Dominican Republic (which shares a landmass with Haiti), and a truly unique Clairin. The Clairin is produced using a hybrid pure cane juice/Methode Saint Michel fermentation style, which pays tribute to both traditional Clairin styles.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Cocktail

The Negroni

If You Were a Cocktail Ingredient, What Would You Be?

Lime juice. I was born and raised in Miami, where lime finds its way into everything – even sweet tea.

Cocktail with Anyone, Past or Present

I’d visit Paris with Ernest Heminway (author of A Moveable Feast). We would walk to Place Saint Michel, sit down in a Cafe, order a glass of Saint Benevolence Clairin, a glass of Sancerre, and some oysters.

Influential Books

• Mountains Beyond Mountains – Tracy Kidder (Haiti, charity work, healthcare)

• By the Smoke and the Smell – Thad Vogler (Check out our book review here)

Advice for Rum or Clairin Enthusiasts

Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn as much as you can. Ask good questions, take good notes, and form meaningful relationships with people who know more about these subjects than you do.

Regarding making a difference in any sphere, Martin Luther King famously said that everyone can be great because everyone can serve, and adding onto that (in the words of my father Calvin), the purity of your purpose is what gives you power.