Rum St.James was born in Saint-Pierre-de-la-Martinique in 1765. In the greatest secrecy, Reverend Father Edmond Lefebure, superior of the convent of the Frères de la Charité (Brothers of Charity), scientist alchimist develops an white alcohol which quality never before attained. This eau-de-vie made from sugarcane will be called "Guildive" or "Tafia."
In 1763, King Louis XV gave the authorization to export Martinique rum. The only country able to buy was New England (USA Today). In 1765, in order to facilitate the sale it was decided that this would be a rum with a Anglo-Saxon sounding name "St.James".
In 1885, the name "St. James" and the famous square bottle is filed, the first in the world. It has been designed so as to be better stored in the hold of ships and also to decrease breakage during heavy storms. The same year, St. James released his first rum. They relied on advertising and soon the fame of rum increased.
May 8, 1902, eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre and Saint-James site. L'Habitation Saint-James is only partially destroyed.
In 1974, the entire production is centralized on one site in Sainte-Marie, the current site. The inauguration was conducted on December 23, 1974 in the presence of the French Prime Minister at the time, Jacques Chirac.
A museum has been developed near the Habitation to trace the history of rum in Martinique. Today St. James distillery is still in business. Plantations cover about 300 hectares.
Must! Take the steam train era, "Train des Plantations", which will offer you a ride in the North Atlantic of Martinique in the middle of the cane fields and banana plantations.
