Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 21 September 2018
Making, drinking arak a source of national pride in Lebanon

By FADI TAWIL Others say, don't question
Associated Press tradition.
TAANAYEL, Lebanon (AP) The making of arak is a
— Every part of Lebanon's family affair, with secrets
national drink, arak, is in- passed from one genera-
fused with tradition — from tion to another.
distilling the aniseed-tinged Central to the process is a
liquor to the ritual of mixing triple distillation using a still
it at the table, when the called a "karakeh" in Ara-
transparent liquid suddenly bic. The harvest is in Sep-
turns milky white as water is tember and October. The
added. grapes are crushed and
Arak is a staple of big Sun- left to ferment for three
day meals. With a sweet weeks. The mix is then put in
taste and high alcohol con- the lower part of the kara-
tent, around 40 percent, it's keh, where it is heated until
best consumed with food it evaporates and cooled
— lots of it. That makes it in the top part by a stream
perfect for Lebanon's tra- of cold water. At this stage,
ditional meze, spreads of it is pure alcohol. Anise and
never-ending small dishes water may be added in
that family and friends lin- the second or third distilla-
ger over for hours. tion. The mix is what makes
Aficionados say arak is vi- each house's taste unique.
tal to digesting the home- In this Saturday Sept. 8, 2018 photo, a Lebanese man drinks arak from a traditional glass pitcher Homemade arak usually
made raw meat dishes that during a festival that celebrates Lebanon's national alcoholic drink, in the town of Taanayel, east goes straight into gallon
are central to a meze. The Lebanon. containers after distillation,
real impact comes at the Associated Press ready for drinking. In com-
end of the meal, when you mercial production, the
stand up after all that eat- "Arak Baladeh." Regulars ily owns one of Lebanon's going. arak sits in clay jugs for a
ing and the alcohol from usually opt for the home- largest arak producers, Drinkers staunchly debate year, making it smoother,
glass after glass really hits. made. With so much home Doumaine de Tourelles, the best way to mix. Issa said.
But the tradition is facing production, it is hard to tell said the drink is a natural Some prefer half water, half "Wine ages but arak rests,"
competition in Lebanon as how much arak is made. digestif. It was a nod to arak — a strong, sweet mix, Issa said.
young generations opt for Lebanon's Blom Bank esti- Lebanon's growing mar- usually not for the newbies. Issa's father introduced a
liquors like vodka or whiskey mated in 2016 that around ket for holistic and natural More common is one-third new technique, letting it
that are easier to mix and 2 billion bottles a year are products. arak to two-thirds water, to sit in the clay jugs for five
drink — without a meal. produced in the country, "The most important thing prolong the drinking and years before going to mar-
Arak is comparable to with nearly a quarter of it about arak is that our the gathering. ket. Her family bought Dou-
Greece's ouzo or Turkey's exported, mostly for Leba- grandfathers used herbs to The ice cubes are another maine de Tourelles 18 years
raki, which are also grape- nese expats yearning for treat illness, not medicine. discussion. For some, the ago and now it produces
based drinks with the lico- their local drink. They believed in herbs, so glass is filled with ice cubes 350,000 bottles a year of
rice-like flavor of anise. Leb- At a recent festival in Ta- they chose to make arak first before pouring the Arak Brun, named after the
anese say arak is smoother. anayel, a town east of with green anise because it drink. Those truly religious Frenchman who founded it
Many families make it at Beirut, several commercial has anethole, a compound about the drink insist that in 1868.
home, each boasting their companies and smaller that aids digestion," said ice must come last. At the Taanayel festival,
particular flavor and kick. boutique houses show- Issa, the company's admin- No one can clearly explain visitors sipped on the sweet
Restaurants often serve cased their araks in a cel- istrative manager. the difference, but theories drink with their meals.
both commercially pro- ebration aimed at promot- Some Beirut bars have in- abound. Some say arak is Michel Sabat was market-
duced versions and home- ing the drink to the young. troduced an infused ver- further weakened if the ice ing his new Arak al-Naim, or
made varieties, known as Christiane Issa, whose fam- sion of arak, adding a twig is already sitting in the glass. "Arak of Paradise."q
of basil or rosemary, to at-
tract young drinkers. Issa
suggests watermelon.
Passions run strong over ev-
ery detail of arak tradition.
It is to be drunk from small
glasses — bigger than a
shot glass but smaller than
an Old Fashioned glass —
arranged on a tray at the
top of a table laden with
meze. A new glass is used
with each new serving.
Some prefer to drink it in a
tall glass.
It is often mixed in a tradi-
In this Saturday Sept. 8, 2018 photo, workers unload freshly tional glass pitcher, round In this Saturday Sept. 8, 2018 photo, a worker carries bag of an-
picked grapes to be cleaned and begin the process that turns with a short beak-like spout. ise that is used to produce arak, Lebanon's national alcoholic
them into arak, Lebanon's national alcoholic drink, at the Dou- That makes it easy to drink drink, at the Doumaine de Tourelles winery, in the town of Ch-
maine de Tourelles winery, in the town of Chtaura east Lebanon. straight from the pitcher taura, east Lebanon.
Associated Press when the party really gets Associated Press