If rum is to the West Indies what vodka is to Russia, it is to the cherry-cherry berry that we owe this liqueur for which Saint-Martin is famous, the Guavaberry Rhum.
The export of the fruit in the form of liqueur, wine and rum began in the late 1800s from the Danish Virgin Islands (now United States) to Denmark. In the 20th century, Guavaberry was used to make juice, jams, pies and cakes in the Caribbean and Cuba. It is thanks to this recent resurgence in cultivating this fruit, however popular 100 years ago, that the Guavaberry has become part of the local culture and the Saint-Martin tradition. While Guavaberry trees grow in the Caribbean Basin and the US and British Virgin Islands, some in Hawaii and the Philippines, there is only one in Florida. Many dried branches are scattered in European natural history museums, but it is in the territory of Saint-Martin that we find the most Guavaberry trees, very much alive this time. Most of the Guavaberry berries are harvested on the heights of Colombier, where it is the hottest, and contrary to what one might think, the fruit is rare. Guavaberry Rhum brings together the best rums aged in oak barrels, cane sugar, spices and wild berries from Saint-Martin. At the Colombier distillery managed by Louis Maccow, a great connoisseur of the berry, the maceration of the fruit lasts one year, the time necessary to obtain this typical taste that is at once woody, spicy, fruity and bittersweet, follows a transfer into another container for resting, bottling, capping and shelving. More than 24 different flavors are available to customers: mango, lemon, ginger, coconut, plum, currant, to name a few. It is traditional to raise a glass of Guavaberry at Christmas, whether singing, telling old stories about this old brew or simply toasting, but you are free to celebrate Guavaberry all year round. _VX
Guavaberry Dovecote Tradition - 192 Rue de Colombier
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