Why clear arak turns cloudy white the moment water hits it
Pour water into arak and the transparent spirit instantly clouds over. The cause is anethole, the oil in aniseed, which dissolves in alcohol but not in water. Diluted, it forms tiny droplets that scatter light, the so-called ouzo effect. Across the Levant that milky glass is a fixture of long, sociable meals.
Arak is a distilled anise spirit of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, made from grapes or grape pomace and aniseed, sometimes with dates or figs. Its name comes from the Arabic word for perspiration. It should not be confused with arrack, a related word used for spirits of southern and southeastern Asia made from other bases. Arak is strong, at least 50 per cent alcohol and as much as 70, with 53 per cent considered typical.
Making it starts in unirrigated vineyards that rely on Mediterranean sun and rain. Grapes picked in late September and early October are crushed and left to ferment with their juice for three weeks, stirred now and then to release carbon dioxide. The spirit is distilled once, then again with aniseed, and the ratio of the two is a major factor in quality. A last run happens at the lowest possible temperature, and good arak then rests in clay amphoras while some of it evaporates. Copper stills with a Moorish shape are the most prized.
Lebanon often calls it the national drink. Much of it comes from the Bekaa Valley, from Obaideh and Marawi grapes, and the town of Zahlé, home of Arak Zahlawi, is regarded as its capital; that brand traditionally draws water from the Berdawni River. In Syria two state firms once held about 85 per cent of the market. A traveller's account from 1856 noted that Syrians passed arak around in small cups on ceremonial visits and festivals.
It is usually served with meze, which can run to dozens of small dishes, or with grilled meat, and often as an aperitif. Close cousins around the Mediterranean include Turkish raki, Greek ouzo and Italian sambuca.
Source: Arak (drink)
