June 27th is World Arak Day
The first-ever World Arak Day is finally here!
Every June 27th beginning this year will mark a day of celebration for the culture, heritage, and future of the Levant’s oldest and most beloved spirit – Arak. Steeped in history, arak evolved from the Arab invention of alembic distillation in the 9th Century. Centuries later, it continues to be the main distilled drink of people across the Levant.
World Arak Day’s mission is to both spread the Levant’s rich heritage across the world and to foster connection among our diaspora generations. Arak crosses borders – it is the national drink of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Jordan, and people all across the Levant have memories of their parents talking for hours after their meals over cloudy glasses of Arak.
The date of World Arak Day, June 27, was chosen intentionally. On June 28, 1919, the Covenant of the League of Nations was signed as a part of the Treaty of Versailles. This broke the Ottoman Empire into European colonies under the mandate system. The division transformed the political history of the region and also the alcohol culture of the resulting territories. June 27th was chosen because Arak is viewed as a unifying spirit of the Levantine region, and it’s the day before the treaty was signed, effectively ending Levantine unity.
On World Arak Day, bars and restaurants around the country are encouraged to highlight Arak on their menus and create Arak-based cocktails that show off the rich versatility of the drink. We hope that featuring Arak on menus across the country will delight older and younger Arabs familiar with the drink, and to introduce it to Americans who may have never heard of it!
Learn more about World Arak Day here or here. And learn more about the history and culture of Arak here!
Post your favorite Arak cocktail or Arak brand today and use the hashtag #worldarakday!
Complied by Arab America
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