Exclusive interview with Jean-Didier Gardere, Founder of La Distillerie 1716

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Q: What is your full name, title, company name and company location?

My name is Jean-Didier GARDERE; I am the founder of La Distillerie 1716, which is owned by UNICA SA, our family-owned company. Our distillery is located in the Savanne Longue region of Thomonde in the Haitian Central Plateau. Our testing Laboratory and aging room are located at the family estate on the hills of Pétion-Ville in Haiti.

Q: Most people don’t know much about Haiti and its traditional beverages, including bitters, Clairin and Rum/Rhum.  How do you describe the richness of flavors and options to the uninitiated?

Haiti’s history is quite rich and the influence of the various populations that have visited or lived on our mythical island which was called at one point Hayti, Ayiti or Quisqueya, left their respective contribution to the richness of flavors in Haitian cuisine and beverages.

Haiti’s traditional alcoholic beverages are Clairin, Bitter Tasting Clairin Trampés like the Assosi, Rhum and Liquors like Haitian Crémas. They are testimony to this rich heritage from so many different cultures. The colonial period of Haiti, included the presence of Spain, France, England and the Order of Malta on the Island of La Tortue. Amongst the numerous trading partners, the Colony of Saint-Domingue had intense trade relations with Sweden, Germany and Austria (Prussia). Ships under these flags regularly entered the various ports of Haiti and Saint Marc was one of their ports of preference. After Haiti’s independence, these countries quietly used the island of Saint-Barthélemy as a transit point to maintain trade relations with the Kingdom of Hayti, despite the imposed embargo on the newly independent country. 

Formulas of Bitters originating from Sweden (Swedish Bitters are known as the very first Bitters) and liqueurs from the North Tyrol region would have been shared and adapted by the apothecaries of the time to include ingredients from the great botanical richness of the Saint-Marc region. The Haitian aromatic alcohol infusions called “Trampés” and the liquors like the Haitian “Crémas” have been influenced by the liqueurs of Tyrol, with which they have a lot in common.

During the two conquests of Italy in 1797 and 1800, Napoleon’s armies occupied several towns and brought back prisoners of war who became conscripts for the Colony of Saint-Domingue. There were many impoverished Italians who arrived in Saint-Domingue, fleeing misery and famine in Italy at the beginning of the 19th century.

France sent Leclerc’s expedition to put down the slave rebellion in the Colony of Saint-Domingue in 1802. This mission included a Polish and a German contingent, along with a small group of Italian conscripts. The traces of 156 of these Italians who were part of this military adventure have been verified. This part of the Haitian history has regrettably not sufficiently been treated by historians. Its importance comes from the fact that these contingents finally turned their arms against Napoleon’s armies by embracing the cause of the insurgents. 

Around the 1890s the Italian community was still migrating to Haiti. Frightened and persecuted, these Italians fled poverty resulting from wars, political instability and natural disasters caused by volcanic eruptions, including Vesuvius and Etna, between the mid and late 19th century. The largest Italian families who settled in Haiti mostly came from Teora, a small village of Avellino in Campania on the Amalfi coast. They brought with them, their region’s traditional recipes for liqueurs made by alcoholic infusions of citrus zest and spices. Scala, near Avellino is the birthplace of the “Concerto liqueur”, one of the oldest Rosoli (plural of Rosolio) of the Amalfi Coast. Bitter liquors of similar types are made in several regions in Haiti where they are referred to as: “Café du Soir”.  

  • Finally, the recipes for Bitters, Liquors and “Trampés” of Haiti are the result of:
  • The knowledge of the flora of the Island of Quisqueya/Ayiti that the Tainos mastered perfectly and left as a heritage; 
  • The production by fermentation of sweet potatoes by the Tainos to make their beer like beverage called the Ouycou;
  • The introduction of the sugar cane from the Canary Island by the Spaniards;  
  • The various French technics of distillation and infusion;
  • The English love and appreciation for rum and the mastery of its production technics;
  • The great contribution of Italian family recipes;The adaptation of some of these recipes by African slaves, many of whom were brought forcefully (and others willingly) from very sophisticated and well educated African kingdoms;
  • The determination of the Haitian population to protect such a valuable heritage over many generations. 

Q: Where did you gain your knowledge about the beverage industry?

I have been fascinated by Haitian Flavors and Aromas since a very young age. When I returned to Haiti from my Industrial Engineering studies in the US, I was hired to build and install equipment for an Herbal Tea factory “Juven-T”. Drying and packaging several aromatic herbs from Haiti was for me, a great experience which sparked in me, a higher level of interest for these natural treasures. It is there that I really discovered the rich potential of Haiti’s aromatic flora. Later in 1980, while traveling through Haiti’s Central Palteau to the clay quarry of our family brick plant, I started visiting Rapadou producing shops (Rapadou is the raw brown sugar made by artisans using ancestral methods, see photo on opposite page).

In addition to the numerous Rapadou producing shops, there are well over 600 micro distilleries producing the Haitian Rhum Agricole called Clairin. Many of them are concentrated in the Haiti’s Central Plateau. It did not take long for me to start playing with aromatic herbs, barks and clairin to create my alcoholic infusions called “Trampés” in Haiti and “Rhum Arranges” in the French Island.Intrigued by the diversity and similarity between Haitian alcoholic beverage and those of Italy, I started on a long journey spanning over many years and trips to Italy, mostly to the Amalfi coast where I learned the production of Grappa, Limoncello, Amaro and Rosolio. I imported in 1990, a crystal lab still to visualize the distillation/condensation process more clearly. Further educational trips to France help me get acquainted with the production process of Calvados, Armagnac’s and Cognacs. At the “Domaine d’OTT” in the Var region of Provence, I learned the production of their famous “Vieux Marc Rosé d’Ott”. 

This quest for knowledge took me also to the Appelton distillery in Jamaica, to Barcelo and Brugal in the Dominican Republic, to the Minas Gerais Cachaça producing region of Brazil, to the production facilities of Absolute Vodka in Sweden and to the Zack distillery and production facility in Budapest, Hungary where one of the world most famous Bitter, the UNICOM is produced.

At each of these trips, I consolidated my knowledge on this formidable industry and the friendships that began during these visits or training are still lasting and are a unique source of knowledge and experience, whenever I am in need of assistance.

I have made all sorts of mistakes over the past 40 years, underestimating an issue or another, to finally reach a comfort level in my ability to conceive and produce Bitters, Liquors and Spirits of international standard. It is how I acquired the knowledge and the confidence to establish the production protocols for our 1716 products.

Apart from the experts in this industry, who helped me master this trade, perhaps my best teacher has been …… TRIAL AND ERROR.  

Q: What products are you currently selling? 

We are currently selling 5 different Cocktail Bitters:

  • The 1716 Bitter Classic and the 1716 Reserve Special which are two inherited recipes from the Saint-Marc region; 
  • The 1716 Bitter Chadèque, specially formulated using a Bitter Grapefruit found in Haiti and other neighboring islands;
  • The 1716 Bitter Piment/Gingembre, specially formulated for the Bloody Mary lovers;
  • The 1716 Bitter Grand Avellino, a citrus base bitter dedicated to the town of Avellino on the Amalfi coast where I learned so much on the Beverage Industry.

Q: What role do Bitters play in Haitian culture, both in and out of cocktails?

One of the most famous Haitian Bitter is “Trampé Assosi” made by infusing “Bitter Gourds” (Asosi in Haiti) in Clairin, with other spices. It is said to have: all sorts of beneficial medicinal properties to fight fever; and to be a powerful aphrodisiac. It is sold by the shot, in every street corner. Deep rooted in the Haitian culture, it is consumed at all popular gatherings like Rara Bands and Carnival. It is also very present in the world of Vodoo.

In cocktails, the concentrated bitters are used one drop at a time to add distinct flavors. More recently we have witnessed a surge in their use in pastry and culinary recipes where they are occasionally referred to as liquid spices.

Q: The famous Angostura Bitters trace their origin back to Venezuela, when Dr. Siegert developed the formula while assisting Simón Bolivar’s army.  You have reasons to believe that the origin of that recipe, however, could be Haitian.  Very interesting! Can you elaborate?

Indeed, a Haitian legend of the oral tradition does exist on this possibility, in the North of the country. It proposes:

That the recipe of the famous BITTER ANGOSTURA would have originated in Saint-Raphael, in Haiti; 

That doctor Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, who invented it, was part of the contingent of Prussian doctors assigned to the troops of the Haitian army which was based in Saint-Raphael. This city was founded as San Rafael de Angostura in 1761 by settlers from the Canary Islands, mainly Gran Canaria. “Saint-Raphaël” (San Rafael de la Angostura in Spanish) is a commune in Haiti in the Nord department, located at the intersection of Route 307 and Route National 3 between Cap-Haitian and Hinche. In its plantations, the workers harvest the green and bitter oranges, cut them into quarters and then separate the skin from the pulp by hand. The skin is sun-dried and then shipped to France where it is macerated, distilled and blended with other ingredients to produce the world-renowned Grand Marnier and Cointreau liqueurs made by the French companies, Société des Produits Marnier-Lapostolle and Rémy Cointreau.

That in 1818, Dr. Siegert and members of his group would have left the port of Les Cayes in the south of Haiti for Venezuela, with an expeditionary force consisting mostly in the Haitian troops of President Pétion, to help Bolivar in his struggle for the liberation of South America. That when they arrived in Venezuela, the troops which left Haiti did indeed pass through a small town called Angostura (this town later became “Ciudad Bolivar”). 

The official history indicates that it is the name of this small town which would be the origin of the name of Bitter ANGOSTURA. The Haitian legend led to a conjecture, where:

Dr. Siegert, at one point, would have depleted his supply of Bitters brought from San Raphael de la Angostura for the soldiers of the expeditionary contingent. His Bitter was meant to help the soldiers cope with upset stomachs from sea sickness during their voyage to Venezuela and other local diseases. Unable to source the proper ingredients in Venezuela, key ingredients were brought from the neighboring Islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where the production of the Angostura Bitter was later developed. 

It is reported that there were bitter oranges and a flora similar to that of Haiti in Trinidad and Tobago. This would explain why the Angostura Bitter became a product of Trinidad and not of Venezuela. This World Iconic Bitter is still however, officially presented as having originated from Venezuela. 

The Haitian archives that could confirm the legend or the conjecture, have not yet been found and many of them may never be. A lot of archives in Haiti have been lost during de numerous socio-political disturbances and natural disasters.  The uncertainty regarding the true origin of Angostura Bitters also comes from the fact that the bark of the tree called Angostura which is mainly found in Latin America was not used in Dr. Siegert’s formula; the coffee variety called Angostura in that region, was not used in the formula neither. The official story does not seem to have been supported by verifiable historical data. It could thus, have very well been the result of speculation. 

On the other hand, the presence of bitter orange peel in the Angostura formula seems to have been confirmed, giving some value to the theory that the formula may have been from San Raphael de la Angostura / Saint Raphael in Haiti, which is still a major producer of Bitter Oranges and for some, the capital of Bitter Oranges.

Q: Where do you source your ingredients for your Bitters?

Our alcohol comes from our own distillery in the Central Plateau of Haiti. The bitter orange peels come from Saint-Marc and from Saint-Raphael; the other ingredients are locally grown ginger, spices and barks. Certain spices are imported like cardamom, star anise and nutmeg.

Q: What about Rum and Clairin?  You have also added both to your portfolio in recent years.  Can you describe what are the main differences between the two and why you decided to start producing them?

In Haiti, both Rums and Clairin are made from the distillation of sugarcane juice or from sugarcane syrup which is made by evaporating the water content of the sugarcane juice. They are both very typical Rhum Agricole.  In our culture, white rum from sugarcane juice is generally called Clairin and when aged, it is called Rhum. If there is one other difference between them, it would be the proof as Haitian Rhum is typically sold at an alcohol content of 43% alc./vol. while Haitian Clairin is never below 50% alc./vol. 

At 1716, we have been producing both Clairin and Aged Rhum for many years, primarily as raw material for our Bitters and have had to always keep a very good reserve. 

With the Covid-19 crisis, we witnessed a reduction in sales of Bitters. Bars which are the main consumers of our Bitters were closed in many countries around the world.

With a growing stock of aged Rums, some of them being well over 10 years and an increased production of Unaged Clairin; noting also the existence of a demand for low volume, premium Clairin and Rhums from Haiti, we have started bottling and selling part of our premium stock in early 2020.   

Q: Where do you source your ingredients for your Rums and Clairin?

100% of our raw material for rum and Clairin are from either the organic sugarcanes grown in the Central Plateau or from the Cul-de-Sac plain, east of Port-au-Prince. Our Oak aging casks are from the Limousin region of France.

Q: Are all your rums fermented the same way?

Yes all our rums are fermented the same way using locally sourced wild yeast and citric acid from various local citrus. The fermentation is done in open tanks and it last 4 to 5 days.  

Q: What were some of the challenges you faced when the COVID-19 pandemic hit? How have you overcome these challenges?

The real challenge came from the combined effect of the Covid-19 and a simultaneous Political Crisis in Haiti. It made it necessary for us to relocate our laboratory, aging casks and a blending / bottling capacity to our family estate in Pétion-Ville. We also had to seek alternative supply of Organic Sugar Cane alcohol in order to prevent any disturbance in transport from our own distillery that is some 85 km away from Port-au-Prince. 

Our lab, aging and bottling capacity in Pétion-Ville is now operational. An annex building is being built on the same property. It will increase our aging and bottling capacity, during the second quarter of 2022. We also made a cooperating arrangement with a distillery near Croix-des-Bouquet which has an installed capacity that is sufficient, combined with ours, to respond to the ever growing demand for our products on the international market.  I can say that we have indeed overcome the hurdles and complications brought to us by the Covid-19 and the fragile situation in Haiti.    

Q: With such an array of flavors in your Bitters portfolio, you must have some delicious cocktails you use them in.  What are some of the most popular cocktails you have?  Which is your favorite and why?

The most popular ones are: 

  • The TI KOMBIT a Cocktail made like the French Antilles “Ti Punch Planteur” to which we add the 1716 Bitter Chadèque    
  • The RHUM PUNCH which is made with Grenadine syrup as a long drink with crushed ice and lime juice.
  • The APIPIPE is my favorite cocktail (photo on opposite page). First it was the affectionate name given to my dad by his children and grand children, second because he always taught me to “Keep it simple”. It is made with 1 part Rhum, 1 Part Lime Juice, 1 Part of Sugar, ½ Part of Cointreau or Grand Marnier, a few dashes of our 1716 Bitter Classic. Agitated in a shaker with crushed ice, it is served with a Cherry on top and a sugar ring on the glass lip.
  • Our 1716 Amarosia Amaro, mixed with tonic water and a twist of orange, with a few dashes of your preferred 1716 Bitter, is a delicious and refreshing cocktail.  

Q: Where are your products available?

Our Bitters are distributed worldwide by Compagnia Dei Caraibi from Torino Italy. They are available in most specialized stores in Europe. We have obtained the permits to export them to the USA where they will be available this spring. Our Rhum and Clairin are being exported to the French Islands, to Europe and more recently to some African Countries. They will be available in North America this spring.

Q: Do you have plans to add new rums to your portfolio?

No we do not plan on adding new rums to our portfolio. Our 1716 Clairin Kombit and 1716 Reserve Royale are representatives our culture of quality. They are of highest standard and can continue to successfully represent of brand. The Clairin 1716 Reserve de l’Ile and the 1716 Rhum Blanc, also two Rhum Agricole, complete our offering in this segment. Staying true to our main activity which is the production of Bitters, we are adding two new long drink bitters; they are Italian style Amari (Plural for Amaro) and one Rosolio to our offering. Our 1716 Amarosia is ready, our 1716 Gustavia, made amongst other ingredients, with native plants and citrus from the Island of Saint-Barth is also ready. They will be introduced to the world market during the summer of 2022. Later in the year, our Scala influenced Rosolio 1716, which formula has been approved will also be introduced for the celebration of the 40th year anniversary of my debut in the beautiful adventure of Bitters and Spirits production. 

Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you? 

My contact information is as follows:Jean-Didier GARDEREUNICA SA (La Distillerie 1716)17 Route d’Ibo-LéléPétion-Ville, Haiti HT6140Tel: +509-3655-1300Tel / WhatsApp: +509-4437-5116 Email: mrjdgardere@gmail.com anddgardere@hotmail.com

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?  

With the current situation of insecurity in Haiti, we cannot organize any tours or tasting room for the moment. We are contemplating the possibility of establishing one in Cap-Haitian where the cruise ships have resumed their operations. 

In the meantime we will participate in several fairs and trade shows in 2022. A launching/tasting event in Haiti as well as in Saint-Barth is being planned for the fourth quarter of 2022, to celebrate my 40th year anniversary in this beautiful adventure. 

Margaret: Again Jean-Didier Gardère, thank you so much for this opportunity and I wish you and your team all the best.

It was my pleasure to share some information on the richness of the Haitian Culture with your readers and more specifically on my passion for Bitters and Spirits. As someone said before me, it is so good to:

“Fill your life with experience, not objects. Educate yourself. Have Stories to tell, not just goods to exhibit.”