Arak

Arak is an anise-flavoured drink popular in the Middle East. It is unsweetened, so it is an eau de vie, rather than a liqueur. As in the manufacture of brandy, a spirit is first made by distilling wine. Then an anise-flavoured oil, derived from crushed aniseeds from the anise plant, is added to the spirit to provide the flavouring.

As with other anise-flavoured drinks like Sambuca, Arak becomes cloudy when mixed with water.

I tried two brands of arak while travelling in the Middle East: Al-Zumot from Zumot Winery & Vineyards of Jordan, and R.T. Touma & Frères from Lebanon. When trying the Touma, my hosts mixed the arak half and half with water. I see why, given that it is 100 proof!

They are both good, but I prefer Al-Zumot.

Arak Al-Zumot

Arak R.T. Touma & Frères

I was surprised to find distinct differences in the way they are made.


Al-Zumot (from their website):

The Arak is distilled from purified grape alcohol with the addition of these anise seeds in a small alambic pot still (Cognac type).

The first distillation of the seeds is limited to 12 hours maximum so that the undesired heavier oils are not extracted. For this reason, only small batches can be distilled. A second and third distillation extracts the heart of distillate.

The heart of distillate is obtained in the final third distillation process; this distillate has a sharp flavour, which is blunted by maturation in clay jars.

Finally comes the secret of our baked clay jars: the triple distilled Arak has a sharp flavour that is blunted by maturation in clay jars. These jars have been hand crafted in the small town of Beit Shabab for more than 2000 years. They are fired for months to get the required porosity, which allows the Arak to “breath”, slowly incorporating the distillate molecules, micro oxidation and let the undesired oils evaporate.

After at least a year of aging, we are left with only 70% of the original quantity through evaporation satisfying the “thirst of the Angels”, and resulting in the nectar Arak Zumot.

R.T. Touma & Frères (from a retailer's site):

This one is made exclusively with whole aniseed and never with star anise, anise oils or extracts.

The winery ferments grape distillate and then distills it four times with various amounts of water and aniseed added at each stated. It's bottled at a hefty 100 proof.