Arrack

Revision as of 16:06, 12 October 2007

Also spelt: Arrac, Arak, Arac, and also known as Rack.

Arrack can be distilled from fermented rice, fermented palm-tree or coco-nut tree sap, or fermented dates.

There is also Bitter Arrac, and Black Arrac.

Do not confuse with Turkish Arac, or Rackee.

Historical References

"Encyclopædia metropolitana; or, Universal dictionary of knowledge", ed. by E. Smedley, Hugh J....By Encyclopaedia, 1845

"Arrac, Arrack, Arac, Rack, Samsu of the Chinese. An ardent spirit obtained by distillation from the external pulp of different species of palms, or from rice, which has been fermented. At Goa, and in Ceylon, the arrack is distilled from toddy, the fluid obtained from cocoa-nut and palmyra, by an incision made near the top of the tree. A pot sufficient to hold two quarts is fixed, at night, just below the place whence a shoot has been cut, and in the morning is removed with juice. At Batavia, arrack is distilled from paddi, or rice in the husk. Good arrack should be clear, yellow, of a strong smell and taste, and have, at least 52-54 per cent. of alcohol. That made at Goa, and thrice rectified, is the best. The Batavian is not so clear or well coloured. The Parriar, Colombia, and Quilon arrack, are very strong and fiery. The Chinese increase it stimulus by the addition of holothurias, a sort of worm found in the East Indies."

"The New and Complete American Encyclopedia", 1805

"Arack, Arrack, or Rack, a spiritous liquor imported from the East Indies, used by way of dram and in punch. The word arrack is an Indian name for strong waters of all kinds; but what we understand by this word, is no other than a spirit produced by distillation from a vegetable juice called toddy, which flows by incisions from the cocoa-nut tree, like the maple juice procured among us. The manner of making arack at Goa is this: The juice of the trees is not procured in the way of tapping, as we do; but the operator provides himself with a parcel of earthen pots, with bellies and necks like our ordinary bird bottles; he makes fast a number of these to his girdle, and any way else that commodioudly can about him. Thus quipped, he climbs up the trunk of a cocoa tree; and when he comes to the boughs, he takes out his knife, and cutting off one of the knots or buttons, he applies the mouth of the bottle to the wound, fastening it to the bough with a bandage; in the same manner he cuts off other buttons, and fastens on his pots, till the whole number is used: this done in the evening, and descending from the tree, he leaves them till the next morning; when he takes off the bottles, which are mostly filled, and empties the juice into the proper receptacle. This is repeated every night, till a sufficient quantity is produced; andd the whole being then put together, is left to ferment, which it soon does. When the fermentation is over, and the liquor or wash is become a little tart, it is put onto the still, and a fire being made, the still is suffered to work as long as that which comes over has any considerable taste of spirit. The liquor thus procured is the low wine of arack; and this is so poor a liquor, that it will soon corrupt and spoil, if not distilled again, to seperate some its phlegm; they therefore immediately after pour back this low wine into the still, and rectify it to that very weak kind of proof-spirit, in which state we find it."