Massaya Arak

Massaya Arak is the Lebanese national spirit made the traditional way by Massaya, the estate of the Ghosn family in the Bekaa Valley. Massaya works on the principle that the better the wine, the better the arak, so it starts with Obeïdi, an indigenous white grape of the Bekaa, harvested by hand in September and fermented into a wine of about 13% ABV. That wine is distilled in Moorish-lid alembic stills, first to a brouilli of about 45% and then to a second heart of about 65%. The spirit is then macerated with green aniseed grown in the village of Hiné and distilled a third time, coming off the still at around 70%. Instead of steel tanks, the arak rests in clay jars commissioned from potters in Beit Chabib, where the angel's share evaporates through the porous clay and the spirit grows smoother and silkier. It is diluted to 50% ABV and bottled in the estate's distinctive blue bottle. Serve it the Lebanese way: one part arak to two parts cold water in a small glass, add ice last, and watch it turn milky white, alongside a spread of mezze.

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