Raise your glass

Arak is in a bad state. Although it was the drink of choice for many Lebanese up until the Civil War, tough competition from whiskey and other spirits has driven it from all but a few traditional settings. And don’t even mention trying to penetrate the youth market. Indeed, as the eyes of both the country’s private and public sectors are focused on the more glamorous local wine production industry, arak production is sinking deeper into oblivion (see “In Flavor of Arak“). But this should not be the case. Lebanon is known for its arak production: ask anyone from a Lebanese village about arak and they will spend impassioned hours telling you stories of how they or their neighbors distill it at home — or at least used to. They will also tell you what their favorite brand of commercial arak is, and why, and how many health benefits the