Rhum Agricole (Martinique)

French West Indian rum distilled from fresh sugarcane juice — grassy, vegetal, bright.

Spirits Martinique 40% ABV
Flavor profile: boozyherbal

Rhum agricole is the pride of Martinique — rum distilled not from molasses but from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, a practice formalized by a French AOC appellation. The style is grassy, herbaceous, vegetal, with a brightness that molasses rums lack. Rhum Clément, Rhum JM, and Neisson are classic producers. A half-ounce of agricole in a Mai Tai (the original Trader Vic's formula) adds a grassy top note that turns what would otherwise be a sweet tropical drink into something complex. Agricole also drinks beautifully in ti' punch — cane juice, rum, lime peel.

Common uses

Mai Tai, ti' punch, Caribbean-forward riffs.

Cocktails that use Rhum Agricole (Martinique)

  • Mai Tai — Aged Jamaican rum, orgeat, orange curaçao, and lime — the tiki benchmark

Substitutes

  • White Rum — Cleaner but misses the grassy cane character.