Arrak
The golden yellow Arrak is drunk principally in Asia and is produced from rice, sugar and an extract of dates, millet or palms. The name comes from the Arab term “al rak”, meaning “sweat”.
Arrack, also spelled arak is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in South Asia and South East Asia, made from either the fermented sap of coconut flowers, sugarcane, grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin. The clear distillate may be blended, aged in wooden barrels, or repeatedly distilled and filtered depending upon the taste and color objectives of the manufacturer. Arrack is not to be confused with Arak, an anise-flavored alcoholic beverage traditionally consumed in Eastern Mediterranean and North African countries.
Sri Lanka became the largest producer of coconut arrack and is widely associated with this spirit. Sri Lankan coconut arrack is often described as a blend between whiskey and rum – smoother than the former, but not as sweet as the latter. Although derived from the coconut tree, Arrack’s flavor profile contains a mere trace of the coconut flavor with hints of vanilla and mellowed with the woody flavor of Teak or Halmilla.
Europe’s best-known Arrak is the so-called Batavia-Arrak, which is produced in Java.
The history of arrack is probably quite old. Historical documents and works of ancient art depict the stages of arrack production, and the beverage was well established by the time European traders and explorers were introduced to it. Like other hard liquors, arrack is made by fermenting the primary ingredient and then distilling the result. The liquor has a flavor similar to rum, accompanied by a rich golden color. Indonesia is a major producer of arrack; Indonesian arrack is sometimes labeled as “Batavia Arrack,” in a reference to the former name for Jakarta, capital of Indonesia.
