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Arak – This is a group of alcoholic beverages with a strength of 40-60 degrees, they are very popular in the Middle East and Central Asia. In terms of taste and preparation technique, this drink is most reminiscent of Turkish brandy, Italian sambuca, Greek Ouzo vodka and Bulgarian mastic.
Brief history of the drink
The country in which they first began to make arak remains unknown to this day, but it is only known that this happened almost 300 years ago. And the inhabitants of Iraq are sure that it was in their country that the production of this drink was first launched, and over time it migrated to other regions.
The legend also says that the name of the alcohol we are considering comes from the Arabic word “arak”, which means “sweat”. This has nothing to do with the physiological processes of the human body, but directly depends on the production process.
Arak: what is made of and production technology
Oriental vodka, although in simpler terms, this is ordinary moonshine, which is produced by distillation or distillation of mash. The only thing that distinguishes arak from moonshine is the raw material.
Initially, the original basis for making the drink was grape pomace, to which granulated sugar was added. Over time, this composition was diversified and completely different ingredients began to be used instead of grapes. For example, arak can be made from: rice, plums, figs and dates. And also from ingredients of animal origin, such as koumiss (horse milk).
Each region has its own historically developed technology for the production of arrack, but there are two integral stages:
The process of fermenting the main ingredient with sugar.
Triple distillation of fermented mash.
The resulting drink is infused in oak barrels and then bottled. In Turkey, Syria and Libya, special bottles with a long narrow neck are used for this. Arak of good quality has a golden yellow color after aging, but you can also find specimens of a transparent and white shade, which can already be diluted with water.
In Eastern countries and Central Asia, anise (star anise) is added to arak before the third distillation process. The result is a drink that is very similar to anise tincture. And it is important to remember that the more anise, the lower its strength.
Arak recipe at home
It is important to understand that this recipe is just a variation on the theme of oriental aniseed vodka, and it is very different from the original recipe and technology. But still, at the exit, we will get a rather unusual drink with a slight greenish tint and a pleasant sweetness.
To get one step closer to the original arak recipe, you can replace vodka with grape moonshine without a sharp and foreign smell.
Ingredients
Vodka or food alcohol – 1 l
Anise seeds – 30 g
Sugar – 3 st. l.
Water – 4 tbsp. l.
Carnation – 6 buds
Method of preparation
To begin with, the cloves and anise must be crushed, but not to the state of flour.
Then pour the spices into a glass jar and pour the prepared alcohol base. We insist the drink in a dark place for 5 days.
Five days later, from sugar and water, we cook a simple sugar syrup.
After it cools to room temperature, pour the syrup into the tincture and continue to infuse for another 1–1,5 months.
After this time, the finished anise tincture must be filtered and then passed through the filter.
Pour the drink into a glass bottle and store it in a cool place.
How to drink arak
I want to say right away that for people who have never drunk such drinks, the aroma and taste may seem rather specific. But still, if you decide on this experiment, then you should follow a few basic rules:
Arak is usually diluted with water without gas in a ratio of 1:2. If the arak contains essential oils of anise, then the drink will immediately turn white.
You can throw an ice cube, but this should be done after adding water.
As an appetizer, you can serve spicy Middle Eastern dishes or nuts, fruits and hard cheeses.
Of course, it is best to drink this drink during the feast, but you can also add a little arak to a cup of coffee or use it to make cocktails.
If you see white-milk arak on the shelves of a store, then you should know that it is already diluted with water, and during the tasting process, you can only add an ice cube.
Relevance: 13.02.2018
Tags: vodka, mash, moonshine