How Sri Lanka's arrack coconut spirit went upmarket
Ayeshea Perera
It's served in some of London's most fashionable restaurants, like Dishoom and Hoppers. And the late food and travel writer Anthony Bourdain described it as tasting like "a marriage of bourbon and rum, but with a stronger, burning kick and a mysterious bouquet".
Yet the makers of Sri Lankan arrack - described as a dark coconut rum - believe it is still punching far below its weight when it comes to international recognition and appreciation. For years, arrack was considered too "low class" to be taken seriously as a premium alcohol, even in Sri Lanka, whose elite in the capital Colombo preferred Scotch whisky, wine or rum.
Arrack's makers have had to survive multiple Sri Lankan governments who have taken the view that while necessary for revenue, the local alcohol industry is a terrible influence on society, rather than a business to be nurtured. Distilleries are therefore subject to heavy taxes, and advertising spirits is prohibited by law.
Despite these impediments, attempts to raise the quality and profile of the drink at home and overseas appear to be paying off.
Premium versions of arrack have found lucrative markets both in Sri Lanka and other countries, where it is marketed as a smooth, artisan spirit that can be either drunk neat, or used in cocktails.
Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne, managing director of the country's oldest arrack producer Rockland Distilleries, is at the forefront of these efforts. He points to the fact that quality arracks are made from just two ingredients - coconut flower sap (toddy) and water. His great grand uncle, JBM Perera, is credited with changing the way the drink was distilled and blended, when in 1924, he accepted a British government contract to produce arrack commercialy. His innovations helped transform arrack from a crude liquor into a smoother and more sophisticated drink.
Mr Wijeyeratne says he is trying to continue that legacy of innovation. Part of this was his company's introduction of an upmarket, barrel- aged blend called Ceylon Arrack, which he says has been made to appeal to drinkers around the world. First introduced in the UK back in 2002, he says that Rockland now sells more Ceylon Arrack to British buyers than those in its home market. The brand is also sold in Singapore, Germany and Japan.
Singaporean bar Native uses Ceylon Arrack in one of its cocktails, and its owner and head bartender Vijay Mudaliar says it has been a bestseller since they introduced it. "Arrack is a beautiful spirit. The taste profile is very fresh and clean. Aged arracks are definitely a viable choice for any dark spirit drinkers."
There is no way of knowing how long Sri Lankans have been drinking arrack, but it is believed to be one of the oldest spirits in the world.
According to Mr Wijeyeratne, that's because "God has already taken care of the fermentation process". What he means is that the toddy ferments of its own accord, because it contains both
natural sugars and yeasts. As soon as it is collected from the trees, it's a sweet, slightly tangy white liquid. But the fermentation process is rapid and its alcohol percentage increases in just hours to around 6%. It is then distilled like whisky or brandy to an alcohol level of more than 60%, before water is added to bring it down to 40%.
However, collecting the coconut sap is not for the faint hearted. In a process that has remained unchanged for generations, men known as "toddy tappers" twice a day shimmy up the tall coconut palms to collect toddy from the unopened flowers.
Sri Lanka's four major arrack producers - DCSL, IDL, Mendis and Rockland - employ hundreds of tappers on their vast coconut estates. With each tapper given a group of trees to look after, they stay high above the ground for hours, using crude rope bridges to move between trunks. Together the four firms produce about 60 million litres of arrack a year, in different grades and mixes.
The price and quality of arrack has a lot do with the percentage of toddy in it. While the premium versions are made from 100% distilled sap, cheaper blends - erroneously called 'Extra Special Arrack' - are usually made from molasses, a form of treacle. Some basic versions of arrack actually contain as little as 3% toddy.
Although lower grade arrack still accounts for almost 70% of sales in Sri Lanka, the premium versions are making Sri Lankans feel that they can take pride in the drink. "Many Sri Lankan CEOs tell me they don't travel without a bottle of arrack as a gift for their high profile international clients," says Mr Wijeyeratne.
He adds that changing the perception of the drink continues to be a slow but rewarding process. "It's still going to be a long time before arrack gets the attention and recognition it deserves."
(Courtesy BBC)