Fakra Arak 100 Proof 750ML

Fakra Arak 100 Proof 750ML is a traditional, ultra-premium Lebanese anise spirit bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof). Distilled in the high-altitude mountain valley of Kfardebian, Lebanon, this exceptional spirit represents the pinnacle of ancient Levantine liquid artistry. It routinely captures major accolades, including consecutive Silver Medals at the MLSA Competition. Celebrated for its ancestral clay-jar maturation cycle, Fakra is an elite, additive-free category icon that delivers a remarkably smooth, velvety texture paired with a powerful, bone-dry licorice profile.

• Quick Facts: ABV: 50% (100 proof) | Origin: Kfardebian, Mount Lebanon, Lebanon | Style: Traditional, Additive-Free Anise Spirit | Key Ingredients: Indigenous Obeidi & Merwayh Grapes, Hina Aniseed | Size: 750ML

Production & Heritage

• Three Centuries of Mountain Craft: While the modern commercial label was organized in 1985 by Dr. Carlos Guillermo Adem, Fakra’s liquid architecture stems from an ancestral, early 18th-century distillery. The site was originally operated by a noble Lebanese family whose members served as historic Consuls of France and Venice.

• The Indigenous Grape Foundation: Unlike generic European aniseed liqueurs built on cheap industrial grain neutral spirits, Fakra utilizes an authentic base of local white wine grapes. Hand-harvested Obeidi and Merwayh grapes are slow-fermented and triple-distilled inside traditional copper pot stills.

• The "Hina" Aniseed Infusion: During the final distillation runs, the grape spirit is macerated with premium, intensely fragrant Hina aniseed. The heat coaxes out the plant's essential oils (anethole), locking a high concentration of aromatic spice directly into the molecular core of the clear distillate.

• Baked Clay Jar Maturation: Following distillation, the fiery 100-proof spirit rests inside traditional, porous terracotta clay jars. This ancient, passive aeration process allows the harsher alcohol vapor to vent naturally over months, rounding out the body and building a satiny, smooth mouthfeel without absorbing woody oak flavors.

Tasting Notes

• Aroma: Pungent, fresh, and deeply aromatic. The nose opens with an immediate, theatrical wave of concentrated aniseed and green fennel bulb, beautifully supported by a faint, fruit-forward undercurrent of sweet grape skin and fresh wild mint.

• Taste: Full-bodied, silky, and deceptively soft on the entry. The palate is treated to an immediate, warming layer of rich licorice root and spicy fennel oil. Across the mid-palate, the robust 50% ABV structure flexes its muscles, remaining dry rather than syrupy, while revealing intricate dimensions of black pepper, herbal spice, and grape-spirit sweetness.

• Finish: Long, intensely clean, and refreshingly cool. The warming alcohol notes taper off gracefully without a trace of industrial bite, leaving behind a persistent, signature trailing sensation of icy licorice, sweet aniseed, and crisp mineral freshness.

How to Drink Fakra Arak

• The Traditional Lebanese Louche: Arak is historically engineered to be enjoyed alongside food, always diluted. The classic, gold-standard serve is a precise ritual: pour one part Fakra Arak into a small glass, add two parts cold water, and drop in two ice cubes. The dilution triggers an instant, magical louche effect—turning the clear liquid into a milky-white emulsion as the hidden anise oils separate from the alcohol.

• The Golden Serving Rule: Never add ice cubes directly to neat arak. Doing so causes the concentrated anise essential oils to solidify prematurely, creating an unpleasant, crystallized oily film on top of your glass. Always add the water first, then the ice.

Best For

• Stocking a premium home bar cart with an authentic, highly decorated Middle Eastern spirit that outpaces generic anise cordials.

• Hosting traditional Lebanese mezze dinner parties, backyard summer barbecues, and Mediterranean family table spreads.

• Gifting adventurous spirits connoisseurs and cultural historians who prize ancient, clay-matured distillation methods.

• Serving as a crisp, dry alternative to sugary, syrup-laden dessert liqueurs.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does Fakra Arak taste like? It features a bold, dry profile dominated by intense flavors of fresh aniseed and licorice root. Carried by a rich, clay-softened texture, it develops subtle hints of grape and fennel before concluding with a crisp, refreshing, and clean licorice finish.

• How does Fakra Arak compare to Greek Ouzo? Both are clear, grape-based spirits that turn milky-white when mixed with water. However, Greek Ouzo is frequently adjusted with added sugars, leading to a lighter, confectionary-sweet profile bottled at a lower strength (typically 80 to 90 proof). Fakra Arak is bottled at a bold 100 proof, contains zero added sugars or artificial texturizers, and undergoes clay-jar aging, resulting in a drier, vastly more robust, and velvety texture.

• Is this a sweet liqueur? No. While your nose and brain will associate the rich aniseed profile with sweet black jellybeans, Fakra Arak is completely dry. All grape and botanical sugars are fully fermented out and distilled, leaving an unctuous mouthfeel driven entirely by natural plant oils.

• Where is this spirit produced? Every phase of production—including the cultivation of Obeidi grapes, traditional copper triple-distillation, clay-jar maturation, and automated bottling—takes place within the historic Mount Lebanon district of Kfardebian, Lebanon.

• What foods pair well with this arak? Arak is the ultimate companion to a traditional Mediterranean mezze layout. Its intense anise oils and high proof cut beautifully through the oil and fat of creamy hummus, baba ghanoush, and labneh. It pairs phenomenally next to garlic-heavy tabbouleh salad, salty grilled halloumi cheese, raw kibbeh, and charcoal-grilled lamb kebabs.

Why Fakra Arak?

The primary technical advantage of Fakra Arak 100 Proof lies in its pairing of indigenous Obeidi grape distillation with an ancient terracotta clay-jar maturation system, providing a structural density, low-friction mouthfeel, and pure anise fidelity that rapid, industrial column-distilled neutral spirits cannot match. It stands as a proud, multi-generational champion of Lebanese viticultural heritage, universally respected by international competition judges and culinary professionals for its lot-to-lot consistency. Delivering a magnificent, deeply refreshing dining experience inside a timeless, elegantly sculpted bottle, this 750ml format offers outstanding cultural luxury value.

Specifications

• Varietal/Type: Traditional Lebanese Arak (Anise Spirit)

• Product of: Lebanon (Mount Lebanon / Kfardebian)

• Size: 750ML

• Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

• Brand: Arak Fakra (NOM/Distillery: Fakra T&I)