Arak (drink)

For the East Asian liquor, see Arrack.

Arak or Araq is a highly alcoholic spirit (~50%-63% Alc. Vol./~100-126 proof) from the anis drinks family. It is a clear, colorless, unsweetened anise-flavored distilled alcoholic drink (also labeled as an Apéritif). It is the traditional alcoholic beverage of Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Syria, and is also produced and consumed in other West Asian and South Asia countries.

File:El Massaya arak.jpg

Typical Arak bottle

Etymology

The word arak comes from Arabic ′araq عرق, meaning "sweat", its pronunciation varies depending on local varieties of Arabic: /ʕaraʔ, ʕaraɡ/. Arak is not to be confused with the similarly named liquor, arrack (which in some cases, such as in Indonesia—especially Bali, also goes by the name arak). Another similarly sounding word is aragh, which in Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia is the colloquial name of vodka, and not an aniseed-flavored drink. Raki, zivania, and ouzo are aniseed-flavored alcoholic drinks, related to arak, popular in Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece, respectively.

Consumption

Arak with water and ice.

Arak is usually mixed in approximately 1/3 arak and 2/3 water in a traditional Levantine water vessel called "Ibrik", in Arabic "إبريق"; then the mixture is poured in small ice filled cups, like in the picture. This dilution causes the clear liquor to turn a translucent milky-white color; this is because anethole, the essential oil of anise, is soluble in alcohol but not in water. This results in an emulsion, whose fine droplets scatter the light and turn the liquid translucent, a phenomenon known as louching. Arak is commonly served with mezza, which could include dozens of small traditional dishes. Most arak drinkers prefer to consume it this way, rather than alone. It is also well consumed with barbecues, along with garlic sauce.

If ice is added after pouring in the cup, it results in the formation of an aesthetically unpleasant skin on the surface of the drink, because the ice causes the oils to solidify out in the arak. If water is added first, the ethanol causes the fat to emulsify, leading to the characteristic milky color. To avoid the precipitation of the anise (instead of emulsion), drinkers prefer not to reuse an arak-filled glass. In restaurants, when a bottle of arak is ordered, the waiter will usually bring a number of glasses along with it for this reason, whilst at home with regular drinkers it is deemed unnecessary.

Brands

"Arak Rayan", from Syria

The most commonly known Arak brands are:

• Zumot (الزعمط)
• Rayan (الريّان)
• Haddad (حداد )
• Batta (البطّة)
• Me'hayyeh (מחייה) - Israeli brand
• Elite Ha'araq (עלית הארק) - Israeli brand
• Al Mimas (الميماس)
• Al Hayat (الحياة)
• Dinan (دنان)
• Al Laytany (الليطاني)
• Al Bayt (البيت)
• Al-Juthour (الجذور)
• Al Samir
• Brun (بران)
• El Massaya (مسايا)
• Fakra (فقرا)
• Ghantous and Abi Raad (غنطوس و أبي رعد)
• Ksarak (كساراك)
• Layali Loubnan (ليالي لبنان)
• Nakd (نكد)
• Riachi (رياشي)
• Tazka (تزكا)
• Touma (توما)
• Asriya (عصرية)

Preparation

Distillation begins with the vineyards and quality grapevines are the key to making good arak. The vines should be very mature and usually of a golden color. Instead of being irrigated, the vineyards are left to the care of the Mediterranean climate and make use of the natural rain and sun. The grapes, which are harvested in late September and October, are crushed and put in barrels together with the juice (in Arabic El romeli) and left to ferment for three weeks. Occasionally the whole mix is stirred to release the CO₂.

File:Traditionnal still at El Massaya-Lebanon.jpg

Authentic Moorish lid pot

During the first distillation, the goal is to get the alcohol out of the mixture that has fermented for three weeks. The distillation is done using the alembic or el romeli also al karkeh, made of copper. This is made up of three sections. The lowest being a container used to boil what is inside (on fire). The middle part collects the vapors coming out of the boiling ingredients. The third part is used to cool the vapor that will be converted to liquid and collected on its way out, usually in a container of glass. The mixture of all the fermented and squeezed grapes is put into the lower part and it is boiled at a temperature around 80 °C (the boiling point of alcohol), but below 100 °C (boiling point of water). The aim is to collect all the alcohol whilst not allowing any of the water into the container.

Numerous stills exist, stainless steel, copper, continuous, discontinuous, swan neck, Moorish lid, and column pots, that will affect the aromas. Indeed, the material used and the shapes will collect different vapors that will craft the final taste and specificity of the arak. The authentic copper with a Moorish shape are the most searched after.

Aniseed on wooden table

The finished product is made during the second distillation. The alcohol collected in the first distillation is distilled again but this time it is mixed with aniseed. The alembic is washed to remove all the remains of the previous distillation. The alcohol and the aniseed are mixed together in the lower part of the karkeh (called in Arabic ddessett). The ratio of alcohol to aniseed may vary (approximately 600 grams of anise to 4.5 gallons of alcohol), and it is one of the major factors in the quality of the final product. Another distillation takes place, usually on the lowest possible temperature. The procedure is very slow (around 8 hours for 150 liters 100% proof).

For a quality arak, the finished spirit is aged in clay amphoras to allow the share of angels (low density alcohol) to evaporate and thus the remaining liquid is the most suitable for consumption. The aging process is around twelve months at El Massaya that owns the largest aging capacity in Lebanon.

Traditionally, a drinking party takes place at the same time and people would gather to help the producer and celebrate. This is one of the most traditional parties of the Lebanese mountains and it usually takes place in November.

Variations

One of the basic varieties, considered by many to be the prototypical arak, is distilled from grapes and anise. Numerous varieties of arak are popular in all the countries edging the Mediterranean, and in parts of the Far East. In the Levant (Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria), it is distilled from fermented grape juice or, at times, sugar, and is considered by the inhabitants to be greatly superior to similar hard liquors in other countries. The same spirit is called Ouzo in Greece, Mastika in Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria and Rakı (another form of the word arak) in Turkey; they are made from a variety of products like grain, molasses, plums, figs and potatoes. Other similar drinks are the arak of Iraq, made from fermented date juice, and the zibib of Egypt, a peasant-made drink. An Iranian variant called Aragh-e Sagi (Persian: عرق سگی, literally dog's sweat) is produced without anise, and has a higher alcohol content than other varieties.

Beside the raw material, the arak differs because of the still shape. Indeed some use a continuous distillation, some the swan neck stills and some other the moorish shape. The different shapes allow to use the energy that the steam generates (continuous and swan neck) to accelerate the process while the moorish lid allows a natural migration of the steam and thus allows a smoother migration of the aromatic components. The distillery that rejuvenated this technique is El Massaya in Tanail, Bekaa valley.

Further west, along the northern shores of the Mediterranean, anisette, French pastis and Spanish ojén, served as aperitifs or refreshers, are all sweeter versions of arak. In the Far East, the similarly sounding arrack is a different beverage distilled from palm sap or rice and devoid of anise flavor (it is known as soju in Korea and shōchū in Japan).

Traditionally, arak was generally of local or village manufacture, but in the last few decades it has increasingly been produced in large manufacturing plants. It has remained the preference of those who enjoy alcoholic drinks in the Middle East, in competition with the many drinks imported from the West.

The strength of arak varies from 40% to 80% depending on the producer but in no way indicates the quality of the spirit. The strength depends on the quantity of the distilled water added after the distillation.

In Iraq, Arak is sometimes referred to as the "lions' milk" (Arabic: حليب سباع) ḥalīb sibāʕ, corresponding with Turkish aslan sütü – most likely due to its milky appearance, and high alcohol content thought to only be tolerated by people "as strong as lions." It is occasionally called "me'hayyeh" in Israel as it is known to 'revive' the spirits of its drinkers.

Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan each consider arak their own traditional alcoholic beverage and the name Arak Zahlawi is a "controlled term of origin" given by the Lebanese people to arak produced in Zahleh, Beqaa Valley. (late 1920s).

See also

• Absinthe, a drink popular throughout Europe
• Aguardiente, a drink in Colombia
• Airag, a Mongolian drink
• Ara, Tibetan and Bhutanese drink
• Araqi, Sudanese drink
• Flavored liquor
• Oghi, an Armenian drink
• Ouzo, a Greek drink
• Pastis, a drink in France
• Punsch, a Swedish drink made from arak
• Rakija, a popular drink in the Balkans
• Rakı, a Turkish drink
• Sambuca, a drink in Italy
• Shochu, a Japanese drink
• Soju, a Korean drink
• Zivania, a Cypriot drink

Sources and external links

• Preparing Arak, in Toula (Lebanon)
• Wine and Dine e-magazine
• Making Zahlawi Arak in Israel
• Syrian Homemade Arak
• video: Preparing homemade Arak near Tartous, Syria