Arak (drink)
Arak or araq (
Composition
Arak is traditionally made of
Typically, arak is a minimum of 50% alcohol by volume (ABV), and can be up to 70% ABV (126 proof).[2] A 53% ABV is considered typical.[3][4]
Etymology
The word arak comes from
Production and consumption
Arak is a traditional alcoholic beverage of
Arak is a stronger flavored liquor, and is usually mixed in proportions of approximately one part arak to two parts water in a traditional Eastern Mediterranean water vessel called an ibrik (Arabic: إبريق ibrīq) from Middle Persian or Parthian *ābrēq.[13] The mixture is then poured into ice-filled cups, usually small, but can also be consumed in regular sized cups. 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 the ouzo effect.
Arak is often served with meze, which may include dozens of small traditional dishes, as well as with grilled meat.[4][14][15] It is also commonly served as an apéritif.[6]
In Lebanon
Arak is often called the
In Syria
In Syria, arak is common. Before the outbreak of the
In Iraq
In Israel
During the
In Palestine
Arak is locally produced by Palestinian Christians.[21] The West Bank city of Ramallah is a center of arak distillation.[22][23] Imports of Palestinian arak to the U.S. increased after imports of Syrian arak was disrupted by the Syrian civil war.[3]
Outside the Levant
Several arak brands are produced outside of the eastern Mediterranean. The Sudanese araqi is a similar drink.[2] Arak is also produced in north Africa.[2] The Arak Carmel brand is produced in Spain, while the Arak Julenar brand is produced by an Iraqi in Greece.[12]
Arak was once produced in
The Persian Empire Distillery, established in 2006 by a
Arak has achieved popularity among consumers in the North Caucasus area of Russia.[27]
Similar drinks
Arak is very similar to other anise-based spirits, including the Turkish rakı and the Greek ouzo,[2][6] the Greek tsikoudia,[3] the Italian sambuca and anisette, the Bulgarian and Macedonian mastika, and the Spanish anis.[6] However, it is unrelated to the similarly named arrack, a sugarcane-based Indonesia liquor.[2]
Preparation
Manufacturing begins with the vineyards, and quality grapevines are the key to making good arak.[28] 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 early 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.
Both pot stills and column stills are used.[2] Stills are usually made of stainless steel or copper. Copper stills with a Moorish shape are the most sought after.[14]
The alcohol collected in the first distillation undergoes a second distillation, but this time it is mixed with aniseed. The ratio of alcohol to aniseed may vary and it is one of the major factors in the quality of the final product. The finished product is produced during a final distillation which takes place at the lowest possible temperature. For a quality arak, the finished spirit is then aged in clay amphoras to allow the
See also
- Boukha (Tunisian drink)
- Moonshine by country
- Zivania (Cypriot drink)
References
- ^ "The return of Arak". The New York Times. 25 January 2005. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rob DeSalle & Ian Tattersall, Distilled: A Natural History of Spirits (Yale University Press: 2022, pp. 264-65.
- ^ a b c d Zoe Sottile, It's one of the world's oldest spirits. Now it's making a comeback, CNN (June 27, 2023).
- ^ a b Neil MacFarquhar, Lebanon's Stills, Chilled by War, Are Rekindling the Old Fire, New York Times (January 19, 2005).
- ^ Dictionary definition: arak. (n.d.) American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives (ed. Scott C. Martin: 2014), p. 946.
- ^ "Drinking Arak - A Gourmet Ritual in the Middle East". Arab America. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Arak: Liquid Fire". The Economist. December 2003.
- ^ "The story of arak, a Lebanese drink infused with tradition". AW. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Understanding Arak, an Ancient Spirit with Modern Appeal". Wine Enthusiast. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ a b c Sammy Ketz, Popular Syrian drink takes hit from the war, Agence France-Presse (April 4, 2015).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dana Kessler, The Magic of Arak, Tablet (June 30, 2023).
- ^ "The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon". cal.huc.edu. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ a b Michael Karam, Arak and Mezze: The Taste of Lebanon (Saqi, 2008).
- ^ Corrections, New York Times (June 26, 2005).
- ^ a b Paul Doyle, Lebanon (Bradt Travel Guides: 2016), p. 274.
- ^ a b Iraq's parliament votes to ban alcoholic beverages, Reuters (October 23, 2016).
- ^ Kawa Omar, Yazidi Iraqi keeps tradition alive of arak-making from dates, Reuters (October 20, 2020).
- ^ a b c Abby Sewell & Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Iraq's crackdown on booze, social media posts raises alarm, Associated Press (March 10, 2023).
- ^ Dan Williams, Exiled to Lebanese brewer keeps up spirits, Reuters (August 6, 2009).
- Greenwood Press, 2004), p. 70.
- ^ Jeffrey Ghannan, "Hope, Figs, and a Place Called Home" in Arab Detroit: From Margin to Mainstream (eds. Andrew Shryock & Nabeel Abraham, Wayne State University Press: 2000), p. 464.
- ^ Michael Dumper, The Politics of Jerusalem Since 1967 (Columbia University Press: 1997), p. 42.
- ^ a b c d AP PHOTOS: Canadian Arak resurrects bygone Persian drink era, Associated Press (October 29, 2019).
- ^ Parisa Hafezi, Moonshine is just a phone call away in Islamic Iran, Reuters (March 26, 2014).
- ^ In Iran, false belief a poison fights virus kills hundreds, Associated Press (March 27, 2020).
- ^ The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives (ed. Scott C. Martin: 2014), p. 1092.
- ^ "Another Anise Spirit Worth Knowing". The New York Times. August 2010.
External links
- Media related to Arak (drink) at Wikimedia Commons