Habitation Clément is a distillery located in the commune of François.
Open all year round from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The visit is chargeable. Here is the link for the prices. Count 13 euros per adult.
To access Habitation Clément, from Fort-de-France (allow more than an hour’s drive), take the A1 towards the south of the island then take the exit after the airport (N6). Proceed to the commune of François, and after about twenty minutes on the road, you will arrive at a roundabout where the direction of Habitation Clément will be written. Follow this direction (D6) to access the Habitation.
Itinerary
The entrance will be on your left and a path will take you to a first car park then a second larger one. Park and go to the reception of the house.
L’Habitation Clément
Go to reception to pay for your visit. The hostess will give you an audio-guide which will be useful to you throughout your walk in the gardens, the distillery or even in the old house.
Click on this link to have a first video preview of the panorama on our Facebook page
Turn around and go back down to the departure bridge to orient yourself in the direction of the visit. You will pass in the middle of a new botanical garden leading to a bridge plunging you in the middle of sugar canes.
After crossing this small cane field, you will find a first cellar, “the cellar Georges Louis Clément”. Enter and smell the share of the angels, an intoxicating smell of rum aging in oak barrels.
Follows a staircase by which you will be able to see on your left, the old ovens which were used for the distillery of the time.
Continue your visit through a room where a film recounting the history of the house will be shown to you.
Following this short cinematic break, the visit continues in the distillery, immersing you in the history of rum production and the production of Clément rum.
The route within the old distillery will make you discover all the period equipment and information panels will explain their uses and stories. Here is a sample of what you can observe.
End of the visit to the distillery, you can orient yourself towards two new cellars with in particular the statue of the bust of “Homère Clement“.
Take the cellars to the right to continue your visit. The path takes you to an old shunter that transported the cane to the distilleries.
Continue your way towards the “Case de l’Econome” where you will again have the opportunity to watch a short film. It is in honor of the exceptional meeting between the two presidents François Mitterrand and Georges Bush, on March 14, 1991 on the Habitation Clément estate.
The visit continues by the staircase on your right.
You will discover the estate’s former Creole dwelling, an emblematic image of Clément rum that you can find on some of their bottles. Within the house, you will discover the furniture and other objects of the time to make you travel in this residence which has kept all its charm of yesteryear.
A little history…….
In the 19th century, many rum distilleries were primarily sugar houses. They distilled their rum from molasses from sugar production. The rise of the invention of the steam engine and its adoption in sugar plantations will intensify and concentrate sugar production in large factories. The isolated dwellings will then focus exclusively on the manufacture of agricultural rum, improved by the adoption of the tray column imported from Europe replacing the still. After 1960, the closure of most sugar estates put an end to the production of industrial rum. Agricultural rum takes its place with its flavors and its terroir, which makes it a rum recognized throughout the world.
In 1887, Doctor Homère Clément became the owner of the Acajou estate, which was bankrupt at the time. His family moved into the main house. The activity of planting the canes of the habitation will last thirty years with the central factory of François.
In 1914, rum from the colonies was requisitioned for the war industry and soldiers in combat. The production of rum increases within the territories.
In 1917, Homère Clément built a distillery on the old sugar refinery. From then on, the transformation of cane juice into rum began at the Habitation Acajou.
In 1923, after the death of Homère Clément, his son, Charles, took over the management of the Habitation Acajou. He will modernize the distillery until his death in 1973 so that Clément rum becomes a major brand.
After 1945, Charles Clément associated his name with rum. Clément rum goes beyond the limits of Martinique. Charles Clément died on March 16, 1973 in the Mahogany house. His sons take over his work in memory of a man who marked the history of the professional world in Martinique.
In 1986, the Acajou distillery and the Clément brand were bought in 1986 by Yves and Bernard Hayot. These two entrepreneurs will continue to perpetuate Clément rum and market it worldwide.
In 1996, Clément rum received the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC). Habitation Clément was classified as a historic monument that same year.
In 2001, creation of the rum ‘La Canne Bleue‘.
In 2005, creation of the Clément Foundation. It is now an organization dedicated to cultural events, particularly on the estate, and it supports Martinican artists.
Take the path on the left of the house to continue the visit.
An exhibition hall is on the left. Throughout the year, the Fondation Clément exhibits artists over long periods so that visitors and locals can enjoy works of art from Creole artists and other regions of the world. The themes are multiple and you can see paintings, sculptures, photographs of artists.
Before each exhibition, the Habitation Clément organizes a vernissage as a preview so that some have the privilege of enjoying the works of art in a smaller committee. The opening usually takes place on a Thursday evening and you can also contemplate the Creole dwelling at night. If you are interested, find out more from the Clément Foundation. (link)
Finally, all you have to do is go to the housing shop. You can taste the different varieties of rum and designs produced by the Clément rum factory for free. In general, for me; I am a fan of white rum “La Canne Bleue” which is delicious in ti-punch.
Do not hesitate to browse their website to find out beforehand about the news and the different rums designed by Habitation Clément.
| In terms of advice,
Ø Traffic in Martinique: During the week, you will face traffic jams around industrial or commercial areas, especially in the morning, in the direction of the South (Rivières Salée, N5) to the North (Fort-de-France, A1) and from the East (Robert, N1) to the North (Fort-de-France, A1), from 7 am to 9.30 am, and vice versa at the end of the evening from 5 pm to 6.30 pm. Think about your route in order to adapt to this traffic which can be dense and easily waste time. Ø Visit and tastings: – Interest: 5 out of 5, the visit to the garden surrounded by works of art, the discovery of a magnificent Creole dwelling and the strong history that surrounds this site make it an unmissable place in Martinique. The visit is paying (audio-guide), free access to the art exhibition hall. Ø Opening: Open every day of the year from 9am to 6.30pm. Miscellaneous: You can orient yourself towards outings in motor boats or kayaks to the Bath of Josephine or continue your journey to the beaches of Petit and Grand Macabou. You can also hike the Boucle du Vauclin. |
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OLIVIER Damien, your humble guide.
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