How a Haitian woman turned ancestral craft into a symbol of cultural pride and economic power.
Culture & Heritage | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | December 9, 2025
From Léogâne to Miami: The Story of a Dream
Born and raised amidst Haiti’s sugar-cane fields, Caroline Prato Zenny — better known simply as Kaki — grew up with the aromas and rhythms of rural life. Her father, a Clairin artisan in Léogâne, distilled cane juice into the rustic, potent spirit beloved by villagers: a testament to generations’ tradition. Life’s journey took her far from home. After relocating to South Florida — like many Haitians seeking stability and a better future — Caroline built a corporate career. But something always tugged at her heart: the taste of home, the memory of family dinners, the music of cane crushing and fire-lit distilleries.
One night, inspired by memories and guided by conviction, she decided to bring that heritage into the world. With support from her parents and the ancestral family recipe, she founded KAKI RUM. The name is more than a label: “Kaki” is her own nickname — a personal stamp embracing heritage, identity, and resilience.
What KAKI RUM Represents
Every bottle of KAKI RUM carries with it more than alcohol. It carries legacy, honoring a recipe that traces back four generations of Clairin-makers. It’s not an imported formula, but the same sugar-cane-juice craft that sustained family tables and village gatherings. It carries authenticity, made from 100% sugar cane, following Clairin-inspired methods — not molasses shortcuts. It’s raw, honest, and rooted. It represents female entrepreneurship, entering a world often dominated by established male institutions. As a woman-owned brand, Kaki is breaking barriers and uplifting a tradition with her own voice. And most importantly, it embodies cultural pride. Each sip is a reminder that Haitian spirits — Haitian craft — deserve global recognition. It is a reclamation of identity, distilled.
A Market of Tradition: How KAKI RUM Fits in Haiti’s Spirit Heritage
Haiti’s rum legacy is long and storied. Among the titans stands Rhum Barbancourt, founded in 1862 and internationally known for decades. Its heritage is undeniable — refined production, oak-barrel aging, and consistent global presence. Barbancourt is rightfully respected as a symbol of Haitian craftsmanship. Yet as global tastes evolve, and as younger diasporans seek authenticity, cultural roots, and stories they can be proud of — there is room for more than one Haitian spirit. KAKI RUM doesn’t compete with Barbancourt; it complements it. It brings a modern diaspora sensibility, blending tradition with global markets. It gives Haiti a new voice — female, entrepreneurial, rooted in Haitian soil but built for the world. And it offers a fresh expression of Clairin heritage, giving drinkers a taste they may not have known they missed. Barbancourt remains a fine benchmark — and rightly so — but KAKI RUM represents a shift: from legacy export to cultural reinvention. It says: Haitian rum is not a relic; it’s living heritage.
Why Haitians — Everywhere — Should Embrace KAKI RUM Now
Choosing KAKI RUM supports Haitian entrepreneurship and diaspora creativity. It sends more than profit — it shows faith in Haitian vision, in women-led ventures, and in grassroots innovation. It helps rewrite the narrative from dependency to self-made success. It allows us to reclaim cultural heritage and pride, bringing Clairin — Haiti’s traditional spirit — into global recognition. It demonstrates our readiness on the world stage, proving Haitian products can compete on quality, taste, and story. It encourages diversity in Haiti’s rum culture, strengthening growth and creativity rather than leaving one brand to carry the entire legacy alone. And it empowers the community economically, keeping value circulating within Haitian hands, from farmers to distributors to store owners.
The Road So Far: Achievements & Challenges
KAKI RUM’s journey hasn’t been easy. Building a brand from scratch in the liquor industry is notoriously difficult, especially when competing against well-established names. Licensing hurdles, distribution barriers, and a saturated market all stood in the way. Yet despite those obstacles, KAKI RUM has achieved meaningful progress. It is now carried in over 150 liquor stores in South Florida and continues expanding to new markets, including New York. Its growth is not just about sales — it is proof that Haitian heritage, when honored and crafted with care, holds global appeal.
Drinking Haitian Pride: How to Enjoy KAKI RUM
Whether enjoyed neat as a moment of reflection, mixed into classic Caribbean cocktails like ti-punch or daiquiris, or used in recipes rooted in tradition, such as herbal infusions and home blends, KAKI RUM invites both nostalgia and creativity. Each sip becomes ritual, memory, and reclamation.
More Than a Brand — A Movement
KAKI RUM is not just another bottle on the shelf. It is a symbol of resilience — rising from ancestral craft, from struggle, from diaspora life. It is a voice of Haitian identity — bridging Haiti and its children scattered around the world. It is a marker of economic self-determination — Haitian quality, Haitian ownership, and Haitian success. And it is a celebration of women who lead — breaking down barriers and building through legacy.
Final Word (Editorial Stance)
For generations, Haiti’s value has been harvested, repackaged, and sold to the world through foreign hands — even our pride has been exported without us. But we are the generation that refuses to remain invisible. KAKI RUM is not just a drink to taste; it is a legacy to reclaim. It represents a future where our culture is not exploited, but owned, where our products are not just exported, but respected, and where Haitian women do not wait for permission — they lead.
We do not uplift KAKI RUM because it is Haitian.
We uplift it because it is excellent — and Haitian.
That combination must no longer surprise anyone.
If we want a new Haiti, then we must build a new economy — one bottle, one business, one woman, one idea at a time. Support KAKI not for sentiment, but for sovereignty. Invest in Haitian entrepreneurship not for charity, but for power. We are no longer begging to be seen. We are choosing to be valued.
Drink Haitian. Own Haitian. Stand Haitian.
Because dignity is not imported — we distill it ourselves.
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