Rakı

Rakı is a Turkish anise-flavoured spirit made from distilled grape pomace, and it is the national drink of Turkey. It is usually diluted with water, which turns it a milky white.

History

Where and when it was first produced is unknown. The word comes from an Arabic term meaning "distilled" and spread across the Ottoman Empire, where it became a generic name for spirits. The earliest known use in Turkish literature appears in a poem by Fuzuli, completed between 1510 and 1514.

Until the nineteenth century, meyhanes, traditional taverns run mainly by Greeks and Albanians, served mostly wine with meze, because of religious restrictions imposed by various sultans. Rakı was made by distilling the pomace left over from wine fermentation, and imported European alcohol was added when there was not enough. During the Tanzimat era, Muslim attendance at these venues grew, and by the end of the century rakı had overtaken wine in consumption.

After the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the state monopoly Tekel began distilling grape rakı in 1944 at a factory in İzmir. Later, as sugar beet production grew, a version made from molasses alcohol was introduced as "Yeni rakı", whose bitter taste helped its popularity. After Tekel was privatised in 2004, many new brands appeared.

Culture

In Turkey it is drunk mainly with meze, the small dishes shared before a meal, and it is especially popular in coastal regions. It is served with chilled water on the side or mixed in, according to personal taste, often with ice. The milky result of mixing gave rise to the nickname Aslan Sütü, or "lion's milk".

There are variants depending on the base ingredient: fig rakı, popular in the south of the country, and fresh grape rakı, which has gained ground in recent years. Today it shares the market with whisky and beer, though it remains the most consumed traditional spirit. Its minimum strength is 40%, and it has been protected as a geographical indication since 2009.

Trivia