Wine · Sainte-Marie, Martinique
Saint James
Martinique's largest rhum distillery, making cane rum since 1765.
- Founded
- 1765
- Founded by
- Rev. Father Edmond Lefébure
- Based in
- Sainte-Marie, Martinique
Making it since
1765
Their story
Saint James traces its roots to 1765, when Reverend Father Edmond Lefébure set up a still on a sugar estate above Saint-Pierre, Martinique. He gave the rum an English-sounding name after an admiral who had lived in town, a choice that helped sell it to colonists in New England.
The distillery was partly spared when Mount Pelée erupted in 1902 and was producing again by 1905. Today it operates in Sainte-Marie on the island's northeast coast and is the largest distillery in Martinique. It has been owned by La Martiniquaise since 2003.
How it's made
The estate's own fields supply most of the sugarcane. Fermentation runs about a day and a half in large tanks, and the wash goes through traditional Creole column stills of copper and stainless steel. Saint James helped shape Martinique's rhum agricole appellation, and it also makes a pot-still rhum outside those rules.
Why we carry them
We reach for Saint James when someone wants to try rhum agricole. It is grassy, bright, and a natural fit for a Ti' Punch.
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