Believe it or Not.. Haitians Make a Damn Fine Moonshine

Clairin is the most popular beverage in Haiti and plays a pivotal role in the day to day lives of Haitians. It's a drink for the people, by the people, and is impossible to find outside of Haiti.. Unless of course, it comes into the hands of a resourceful exporter. It's the Haitian equivalent to moonshine, distilled from molasses and served to the masses. Haiti used to be the largest sugarcane exporter in the world, however today the majority of it is imported. Most of the sugar grown in Haiti today is used exclusively for the production of clairin. It is distilled twice in order to increase its potency. It's usually sold in small used bottles that once held some rum from the neighboring Dominican Republic. It comes in a variety of strengths and colors, from white, bright red , green or caramel brown. It's rarely ever aged before bottling, and most bottles have a variety of unidentified objects resting at the bottom. Stills are located throughout the countryside, and can fill a gallon for around 100 Haitian Gourdes, or about $2.50. One could procure a bottle of clairin virtually anywhere, including roadside stops. It's considered the drink of the poor , and considering that most of Haiti is poor, one can assume that most Haitians imbibe a fair share of clairin.

Pretty sweet deal. Unfortunately, I was not able to bring any clairin to class but it's relatively easy to make on your own. In the spirit of legality I couldn't possibly encourage a group of bright undergrads to make Haitian moonshine, but any resourceful UVM student could do so with relative ease. When distilling moonshine, one could use either a pot or a reflux, the first being much cruder and easier. Below is a brief guide in preparing clairin using a pot:

1. Dissolve the proper ratio of sugar and molasses* into water

2. Bring to a boil

3. Wait for it to cool down to 110' Fahrenheit

4. Add more sugar/molasses

5. Let it ferment for a few weeks. If mixture is bubbling, give it more time.

6. Pour the mixture into a pressure cooker to 173' Fahrenheit

7. Fasten Copper pipe to pressure cooker, and open end to another container

8. Filter it through charcoal

9. Enjoy

Note: To the experienced moonshiner, the molasses ingredient may seem familiar. It's the active ingredient in the rum distillation process. I'm not exactly sure how clairin production differs from that of rum.

You have just read the most brief, most crude recipe for clairin, or moonshine, anywhere on the internet. I would not recommend that anyone follows this recipe. People often die after drinking moonshine prepared the wrong way. Luckily for Haitians, there is no shortage of experts. This drink is generally not much stronger than your average bottled spirit, however if its distilled enough times it can be almost 100% pure. We've been saturated with the benefits of eating local, maybe it's time to start drinking local too. In Haiti, clairin provides an alternate source of necessary income for its producers. It's not explicitly illegal to make either. However, here in the USA it is incredibly illegal. It's probably not a good idea to apply for a license to sell clairin on Church St., so procuring a bottle of clairin may be best suited for the prospective Caribbean traveler.