{"id":36240,"date":"2019-06-25T16:56:50","date_gmt":"2019-06-25T16:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=36240"},"modified":"2019-06-25T23:58:58","modified_gmt":"2019-06-25T23:58:58","slug":"how-sri-lankas-arrack-coconut-spirit-went-upmarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/how-sri-lankas-arrack-coconut-spirit-went-upmarket\/","title":{"rendered":"How Sri Lanka&#8217;s arrack coconut spirit went upmarket"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ed18cd;\">How Sri Lanka&#8217;s arrack coconut spirit went upmarket<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">\u00a0Source: <a href=\"HTTPS:\/\/WWW.BBC.COM\/NEWS\/WORLD-ASIA-47782568\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC News<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36241 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Sri-Lankas-arrack.jpg\" alt=\"Sri Lanka's arrack\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Sri Lanka&#8217;s arrack producers are trying to take the spirit upmarket<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Distilled from the sap of the coconut flower, Sri Lankan arrack has been a local favourite for centuries. But now its makers are trying to take the spirit global, writes the BBC&#8217;s Ayeshea Perera in Colombo.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">It&#8217;s served in some of London&#8217;s most fashionable restaurants, like Dishoom and Hoppers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">And the late food and travel writer Anthony Bourdain described it as tasting like &#8220;a marriage of bourbon and rum, but with a stronger, burning kick and a mysterious bouquet&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Yet the makers of Sri Lankan arrack &#8211; best described as a dark coconut rum &#8211; believe it is still punching far below its weight when it comes to international recognition and appreciation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">For years, arrack was considered too &#8220;low class&#8221; to be taken seriously as a premium alcohol, even in Sri Lanka, whose elite in the capital Colombo preferred Scotch whisky, wine or rum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36242 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Arrack-is-distilled-e1560876352880.jpg\" alt=\"Arrack is distilled\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Arrack is distilled from the sap or toddy of the coconut flower, which is still harvested by hand<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Arrack&#8217;s makers have also 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 that ought to be nurtured.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Distilleries are therefore subject to heavy taxes, and advertising spirits is prohibited by law.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Despite these impediments, attempts to raise the quality and profile of the drink at home and overseas appear to be paying off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne, the managing director of the country&#8217;s oldest arrack producer Rockland Distilleries, is at the forefront of these efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">He passionately points to the fact that quality arracks are made from just two ingredients &#8211; coconut flower sap (known locally as toddy) and water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">And for him, it&#8217;s in his blood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36243 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/The-sap-ferments-e1560876474651.jpg\" alt=\"The sap ferments\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">The sap ferments naturally after it has been harvested<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">His great grand uncle, JBM Perera, is credited with completely changing the way the drink was distilled and blended, when in 1924, he accepted a British government contract to produce arrack on a commercial scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">His innovations, including the procurement of a custom-made still from a French company, helped transform arrack from a crude liquor into a smoother and more sophisticated drink.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Mr Wijeyeratne says he is trying to continue that legacy of innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Part of this was his company&#8217;s introduction of an upmarket, barrel-aged blend called Ceylon Arrack, which he says has been made to appeal to drinkers around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">And it is making some significant inroads in the global market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">First introduced in the UK back in 2002, which Mr Wijeyeratne calls the &#8220;toughest liquor market in the world&#8221;, he says that Rockland now sells more Ceylon Arrack to British buyers than those in its home market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">The brand is now also sold in countries like Singapore, Germany and Japan. And there are plans to launch it in India this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36244 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/toddy-tapper-e1560876612593.jpg\" alt=\"toddy tapper\" width=\"600\" height=\"368\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Working as a &#8220;toddy tapper&#8221; collecting the coconut flower sap is not for those who are scared of heights<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">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 ever since they introduced it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">&#8220;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.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">There is no way of really knowing how long Sri Lankans have been drinking arrack, but it is believed to be one of the oldest spirits in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">According to Mr Wijeyeratne, that&#8217;s because &#8220;God has already taken care of the fermentation process&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">What he means by this is that the toddy ferments of its own accord, because it contains both natural sugars and yeasts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36245 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/producer-of-arrack.jpg\" alt=\"producer of arrack\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Rockland is Sri Lanka&#8217;s oldest commercial producer of arrack<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">As soon as it is collected from the trees, it&#8217;s a sweet, slightly tangy white liquid. But the fermentation process is rapid and its alcohol percentage increases in just hours to around 6%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">It is then distilled like whisky or brandy to an alcohol level of more than 60%, before water is added to bring that back down to 40%.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"story-body__crosshead\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px;\">Global Trade<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 28px; color: #000080;\">More from the\u00a0<a class=\"story-body__link-external\" style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/bbc.in\/2NT9ZWA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC&#8217;s series taking an international perspective on trade:<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px; color: #000080;\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-48351811\">Feeling the impact of Trump&#8217;s foreign worker squeeze<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px; color: #000080;\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-48266510\">The pistachios that need police protection<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px; color: #000080;\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-47934398\">Is Eritrea coming in from the cold?<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px; color: #000080;\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-47806892\">Meet the fish leather pioneers<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"story-body__line\" \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">However, collecting the coconut sap is not for the faint hearted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">In a process that has remained unchanged for generations, men known as &#8220;toddy tappers&#8221; twice a day shimmy up the unnervingly tall coconut palms &#8211; a fully grown tree can reach 60m (200ft) &#8211; to collect toddy from the unopened flowers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Sri Lanka&#8217;s four major arrack producers &#8211; DCSL, IDL, Mendis and Rockland &#8211; employ hundreds of tappers on their vast coconut estates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Together the four firms produce about 60 million litres of arrack a year, in different grades and mixes.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image__img js-image-replace aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/09FC\/production\/_106265520_c9b42280-36f0-4416-9529-4b4193f69429.jpg\" alt=\"Arrack on the beach\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" data-highest-encountered-width=\"624\" \/><\/span><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Sri Lankan arrack has become increasingly popular both in Sri Lanka and overseas<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">The price and quality of arrack has a lot do with the percentage of actual toddy in it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">While the premium versions are made from 100% distilled sap, cheaper blends &#8211; which are somewhat erroneously called &#8220;Extra Special Arrack&#8221; &#8211; are usually also made from molasses, a form of treacle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">Some of the most basic versions of arrack can actually contain as little as 3% toddy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">&#8220;Many Sri Lankan CEOs I meet tell me that they don&#8217;t travel without a bottle of arrack as a gift for their high profile international clients,&#8221; says Mr Wijeyeratne.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">He adds that changing the perception of the drink continues to be a slow but rewarding process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">&#8220;It takes years and years. You have to be willing to go for the long haul.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #000080;\">&#8220;It&#8217;s still going to be a long time before arrack gets the attention and recognition it deserves.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/exquisite-liquors-colombo-no-7-london-dry-gin-ceylon-arrack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #008000;\"><strong>Visit\u00a0EXQUISITE LIQUORS \u2013 Colombo No 7 &amp; London Dry Gin &amp; Ceylon Arrack page on eLanka to purchase this very special drink!<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; How Sri Lanka&#8217;s arrack coconut spirit went upmarket \u00a0Source: BBC News Sri Lanka&#8217;s arrack producers are trying to take the spirit upmarket Distilled from the sap of the coconut flower, Sri Lankan arrack has been a local favourite for centuries. But now its makers are trying to take the spirit global, writes the BBC&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[7709,5156,7710,7708],"class_list":{"0":"post-36240","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"tag-colombo-no-7","9":"tag-exquisite-liquors","10":"tag-london-dry-gin","11":"tag-sri-lankas-arrack-coconut-spirit","12":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Sri Lanka&#039;s arrack coconut spirit went upmarket<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Distilled from the sap of the coconut flower, Sri Lankan arrack has been a local favourite for centuries. 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