I’m in Colombo, sitting by the open-air bar overlooking the tranquil 16th-century Beira Lake, and I take the first sip of my cocktail. I’m immediately transported to my childhood days, when I used to sit by my aunt, loku amma, every New Year listening to her fables as she spent hours making dodol, a gooey and sticky dark brown sweetmeat. And now, I taste the unmistakeable same flavours, albeit in a drink. This rich, creamy, sweet mix of arrack, coconut and jaggery is a recreation of the familiar Sri Lankan confection.
I watch a bartender whip up another drink as I sip on my own. It’s a coconutty arrack infused with ginger and tamarind, which he serves in a lantern bulb jar. It resembles the kerosene lanterns my father used to light at home when we experienced power cuts. There’s a spicy tang to the drink, thanks to a distillate that calls back to the Sri Lankan achcharu, a pickle of vegetables and unripe papaya distinctive for its sweet, tangy and spicy flavour.
I’m here at ColomBar inside the swanky Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel that swarms with patrons every weekend who are here to jive to live music. From the outside, it may feel like just another buzzy tavern at the heart of the city. But this vibrant spot with comedy nights and open-air seating is one of the country’s first establishments to proudly flaunt arrack.
This distilled spirit possesses an alcohol percentage of over 40%, and tastes similar to rum, with a smooth finish. Not to be confused with the more popular, similarly spelt, anise-flavoured arak, arrack’s floral notes make it taste subtly sweet. There are several varieties of the spirit, but coconut arrack, made from the sap of coconut flowers, is the most common.
I’m mesmerised by ColomBar’s cocktail menu, which takes bargoers across the island’s history, culture and diverse communities through drinks that put Sri Lankan spirits front and centre. You’ll find the piquant Colombo Gin and locally produced dark red rum, alongside drinks such as Gara Yaka – a blend of coconut arrack, vanilla, bael fruit flower and cinnamon – named after a devil in Sri Lankan folklore.
Then there’s Yaal Panam – Tamil for northern Sri Lankan city Jaffna – which blends mango chutney, jaggery and sour tamarind with palmyrah arrack, a northern Sri Lankan variation of arrack made from the sap of the palmyrah palms that grow abundantly in the region.
From working class to world class
Kamal Munasinghe, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts’ area VP in Colombo, tells me that arrack is one of the oldest distilled alcoholic beverages in the world, with its roots tracing back to the 5th century. Despite its long history, arrack was often only associated with roadside taverns and local drinking culture, and not typically found in upscale bars and restaurants. “People viewed arrack as a working-class spirit,” Munasinghe says.
But things are changing now, thanks to the efforts of homegrown bars across the island aiming to champion native, once-overlooked spirits. Local and foreign mixologists across Sri Lanka have been incorporating local flavours and global techniques to create unique cocktails that present arrack’s refined personality and cultural significance.
“Arrack is a matter of pride for all Sri Lankans”
Bars have been blending native ingredients like the earthy, dark brown kithul (fishtail palm) syrup with savoury notes like tamarind and curry leaves in their arrack drinks using contemporary methods like smoking the glasses and frothing agents. Over the years, “it has helped people enjoy arrack in different flavourful blends. It shows how arrack can easily adapt to contemporary tastes,” Munasinghe says.
Today, entrepreneurs and mixologists are increasingly realising that arrack helps spotlight Sri Lankan culture and the island’s diverse cuisine amid a saturated global mixology landscape. Not only is arrack tied to core memories of those who grew up with it, its flavour profile is also evocative of and pairs well with Sri Lankan delicacies.
Nabeel Kenny, head mixologist at Ropewalk, a contemporary speakeasy bar located within the Unesco-listed, 300-year-old Galle Fort two hours south of Colombo, explains that arrack has always been integral to local celebrations, like weddings and birthday parties. Ropewalk was one of the country’s first taverns to specialise in arrack, yet it’s only recently that Sri Lankans have been seeing arrack reinvented in mixology and paired with menus that include local cuisine. “It’s a matter of pride for all Sri Lankans,” he says.
A Sri Lankan spirit at heart
The reinvention of arrack aligns with how, as Kenny notes, homegrown spirits are becoming increasingly trendy across the world. As Sri Lanka’s tourism grows – the island saw over 600,000 visitors from January to March this year alone – more and more tourists are looking for unique, local experiences. “They can get a classic gin or whisky cocktail anywhere else, but for them to be in an arrack bar inside the historic Galle Fort, now that’s worth shouting about,” Kenny says.
Other industry insiders agree. “The global cocktail scene is evolving, so we can expect to see more innovation and creativity with arrack-based drinks,” says Wendell Rebeira, owner of Locale, one of south coast’s popular gastro bars serving arrack cocktails.
He adds, “Trends like sustainability and embracing locally sourced ingredients, and experimental techniques like smoke infusions or molecular mixology can influence the future of arrack cocktails.”
A drink for the ages
Kenny shows me the creative cocktails that get people talking. Among them is Only Nabeel Likes This, an unapologetic concoction of old reserve arrack, tropical fruits, palm treacle and masala tea. There’s also the bar’s signature Ceylon Sour, a Sri Lankan take on the classic whisky sour with arrack, lime, ginger and lemongrass.
The menu also includes shots of different arrack varieties, like Rockland Vat 9, a light-bodied drink with coconut and spice notes, or rich Old Arrack stored in aged wooden barrels.
“Our cocktails are as Sri Lankan as they get. And now it’s got the world talking about arrack,” Kenny says as he prepares me another arrack drink. It’s Rampart Sunset, with pineapple and kithul treacle. I swirl it and take a sip; it sends me back in time to a school trip in Galle Fort, traipsing over the fort’s ramparts with my childhood friends as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Where to enjoy arrack in and around Colombo
ColomBar
One of the city’s popular weekend hangouts embracing native spirits like locally produced gin, rum and arrack from across the island.
Tiki Bar
Colombo’s newest arrack-themed bar opened in Shangri-La Colombo with over 55 arrack infusions, including bael fruit and nai miris, a fiery local chilli.
Ropewalk
Sri Lanka’s first arrack-themed bar housed inside the historic Galle Fort Hotel with a restaurant menu serving local specialities like bacon and egg pastries and spiced baby jackfruit snacks.
Hotel De Uncle’s
Eat and drink like a Sri Lankan at this charming restobar overlooking the ocean in Ahangama, 2.5 hours’ drive from Colombo.
Locale
This popular bar in Weligama, 2.5 hours’ drive from Colombo, overlooks a stunning surfer’s bay and serves creative arrack cocktails with live music and DJ nights.
Smoke & Bitters
Ranked among Asia’s 50 Best Bars for two consecutive years, the bar doubles as a smokehouse in surf town Hiriketiya, a 3-hour drive south of Colombo.
For our full list of things to try and places to see in Colombo, check out our Colombo City Guide.
For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to Colombo, visit the official website.
