La Favorite is a brand of [ingredient=rum rhum] agricole owned by the Dormoy family, distilled, aged and bottled at the estate on the island of Martinique, and imported by Ed Hamilton of Caribbean Spirits.
The distillery was built in 1842, and included a water wheel to crush sugar cane, five fermentation vats and a pot still. Unfortunately, the distillery went bankrupt in 1875, and combines with damage sustained in the 1891 hurricane, La Favorite lay dormant for nearly 35 years.
In 1909, Henri Dormoy bought the La Favorite property, and began to modernize it, building a chateau there in 1920. He built a railway through the estate to facilitate the transport of sugar cane, and installed a modern column still.
Today, the third generation of the Dormoy family owns La Favorite. In 2004, Paul Dormoy added additional aging capability and installed a second column still. In total, La Favorite produces about 500,000 liters of rhum agricole annually. This output is divided into three rhums: a Blanc called Coeur de Canne (at 100 proof in liter bottles), an amber rhum called Coeur d'Ambre (also 100 proof, aged for between one and two years in used American whiskey and [ingredient=bourbon Bourbon] barrels), and a Vieux called Coeur d'Rhum (80 proof, aged for at least three years in used American whiskey and Bourbon barrels).
Some popular cocktails containing La Favorite
- Koko B. Ware — Rum, Rhum Agricole, Bitters, Lime juice, Orgeat, Vanilla syrup, Heavy cream, Nutmeg
- 5 Spot — Martinique Rum, Bitters, Lime juice, Maple syrup, Water, Ginger syrup, Basil
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out — Dry vermouth, Martinique Rum, Pineapple juice, Orange flower water, Lactart