Arak is considered the oldest distilled spirit, predating other well-known anise-flavored spirits such as Turkish raki, Greek ouzo, and French pastis. Historically, arak was not always distilled with aniseed. The practice of using anise in arak dates back over 1,200 years, with the earliest documented instance by the Persian polymath Al-Razi in the Levant. Originally, "arak" was a general term for distilled spirits. The name itself is derived from the Arabic word for condensation, reflecting the distillation process where alcohol evaporates from a fermented beverage and then condenses back into liquid form. Interestingly, Batavia arrack from the Indian subcontinent, which is not made from grapes and contains no aniseed, also shares its name origin with arak. This connection highlights the spread of distillation techniques into India through the Abbasid Caliphate, emphasizing the historical and cultural influence of Arabic distillation practices. #arak #distilled
