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एशियाई स्पिरिट्सAsian Spirits

Arak / Arrak (Indian Toddy Arrack)

↳ from Kerala, India

Spirit distilled from palm toddy, once common across South India.

History

Arrack in South India is distilled from toddy, the sap of palms, a drink known from Tamil Sangam literature. Kerala and Karnataka licensed arrack shops until bans in the 1990s and 2000s in several states.

Why it exists

Toddy ferments quickly and cannot be stored, so distilling it makes a stable spirit.

Ingredients

  • Palm sap (coconut, palmyra)
  • Natural yeast

How it's made

  1. Sap is collected in pots tied to flower stalks
  2. Ferments within hours at ambient heat
  3. Toddy is distilled in a pot still
  4. Collected at about 40%
  5. Sometimes aged in wood
how to enjoy it

Serve & enjoy

With water.

For readers of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.

Ratings & notes

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