• Category: fig brandy
• Alcohol: 36%
• Origin: Tunisia
• Manufacturer: Félix Habib & Cie.
• Bought at: Tunis Airport, Tunisia (thanks Laura!)

Félix Habib & Cie and Bokobsa are the two best known distillers in Tunisia. Félix Habib is famous because of its Cédratine, and its boukha Soleil. This boukha is the higher quality version of Boukha Soleil. The smell is distinctly fragrant of figs, and the taste is indeed also better than the Boukha l’Oasis and the regular Boukha Soleil. 7/10

• Category: arak (on the basis of grapes)
• Alcohol: 50%
• Origin: Jordan
• Manufacturer: Eagle Distilleries Co.
• Bought in: Jordan (thanks Lennart!)

This “triply distilled” product of Jordan comes in a nice bottle with a clever pouring enhancement. It makes measuring a lot easier. Just as the Lebanese arak Touma, the manufacturer also uses the classification “King of Arak”. The taste is good, but a little flat; not as complex as the good Lebanese brands. However the quality is very good, and it certainly does not give you a hang-over. 8,5/10.

External link: Eagle Distilleries official site

• Category: arak (on the basis of grapes)
• Alcohol: 53%
• Origin: Lebanon
• Manufacturer: Massaya &Co.
• Bought at: Le Vieux Télégraphe, Bédarrides, France (thanks Bob!)

Arak Massaya is one of the most prestigious brands of arak available, and the bottles are beautiful. The photo shows two bottles, one of the “anniversary edition” and one regular. Definitely recommendable if you have the chance to try it. The flavour reminds of herbs and licorice, and it is not sweet. Arak massaya matures six to twelve months in clay jars, which apparently gives off the licorice-like taste. 8/10.

External link: Massaya official site

• Category: arak (on the basis of grapes)
• Alcohol: 45%
• Origin: Iraq
• Manufacturer: unknown
• Bought at: Baghdad, Iraq (thanks Bob!)

This bottle was bought in Baghdad probably a long time ago (possibly even in the eighties). It is made of fermented grape pulp, just as Lebanese and Syrian arak, but unlike many other Iraqi brands of arak which are based on fermented dates. Abu Nuwas was a medieval Arabic poet renowned for his poetry involving wine and homo-eroticism. He also figures on the label, enjoying music and a glass of (presumably) arak. For more information on Abu Nuwas, see his Wikipedia page. The drink itself is not very good; it results in quite bad hangovers. 5/10.

External link: Wikipedia: Abu Nuwas

• Category: liqueur
• Alcohol: 40%
• Origin: Tunisia
• Manufacturer: Felix Habib & Cie.
• Bought at: Monoprix Supermarket, Tunis, Tunisia

Cédratine is, in the terminology of its producer the “Vieille Liqueur de Carthage”. This strong liqueur is made of a certain type of citron, and this is also clear from the smell and the taste. It is rather less sweet than Thibarine, and this lack of sugar also makes it taste more alcoholic. It is also a lot fruitier than Thibarine, which makes Cédratine in general better than the other digestive. 8/10.

• Category: liqueur
• Alcohol: 40%
• Origin: Tunisia
• Manufacturer: Domaine de Thibar
• Bought at: Monoprix supermarket, Tunis, Tunisia

Thibarine is originally made by monks in the Thibar region in Tunisia. Nowadays, the monks have left but wine is still produced on the Domaine de Thibar, as well as this very sweet digestive liqueur, which is similar to Jägermeister. The ingredients are unclear; various sources say it is made of dates but this does not seem to be the case. Some other websites state that it is made of distilled wine, as cognac is made. It is probably made by macerating a number of herbs and plants, and subsequent heavy sweetening. 7.5/10

al-Muqtataf was one of the various early Arabic scientific and literary magazines that appeared from 1876 onwards. A hefty study in German has appeared on it in 2004, and in it I found an early Arabic advertistement (1906) for Canadian Club Whisky. The text bottom left says: “Available in Egypt and every other Eastern country”; the other Arabic texts are translations of the English text within the logo.

Source: al-Muqtataf 30:1 (1906). In: Glaß, D. (2004). Der Muqtataf und seine Öffentlichkeit. (p. 255).

• Category: arak (on the basis of grapes)
• Alcohol: 53%
• Origin: Lebanon
• Manufacturer: Chateau Musar
• Bought at: Ton Overmars, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Chateau Musar is one of the best known Lebanese wineries, and they also make a high quality arak. The smell is outspoken aniseed, and rather spicy, because the sweet hints that usually accompany the smell of aniseed are absent. It also smells quite alcoholic, maybe because of the same reason. The taste is also spicier and less sweet, and more complex. These characteristics might well be related to the fact that it is distilled four times, whereas three times is more usual. But it could also be related to the fact that it has aged for a year in terracotta jars. In either case this extra attention is a good investment. According to the description of Chateau Musar it can also be drunk pure. Even though it is less harsh than other araks, I still find it too strong to drink it pure. In any case it gets the highest rating so far: 8.5/10.

External link: Chateau Musar official site