What is Arak?

Arak is a distilled alcoholic spirit drink from the Levant that is flavoured with anise and considered the national drink of Lebanon. Traditionally, it is made of grapes and aniseed giving it a licorice taste, but is sometimes flavoured with other fruits like dates and figs. It is quite strong at a minimum 50% ABV going up to around 70% ABV.

In the Middle East where it is most popular, it is usually mixed with water in something called an ibrik, a sort of a small, long-handled pot, and then poured onto ice in your cups. This causes it to go milky white, known as the ouzo effect. Meze is the traditional food accompaniment.

It is very similar to Turkish Raki, French Pastis, Greek Ouzo and Italian Sambuca, but not to be confused with the Southeast Asian drink arrack which is sugarcane based.