Arak! The Amazing Levantine Spirit is What Your Cocktail is Missing

A ubiquitous summertime drink in Israel, this rosy sipper combines arak with pink grapefruit juice, chamomile simple syrup and mint. It’s a refreshing way to sample the spirit. Get the recipe.

The grapefruit-and-anise combination continues with the Habayit Cocktail from Forward. The two base ingredients are blended with sugar, sour mix (lemon and more sugar) and sage leaves for a savory-sweet cocktail that pairs well with food. If that’s not your jam, try Forward’s cleverly named bourbon-and-arak–spiked Saz-Arak, instead. Get the recipe.

Grapefruit not your thing? Break off that bitter relationship in favor of a citrus that’s a little more sweet: the pomelo. Inside the never-ending rind, the fruit’s flesh is mild. Mix it with a little arak and garnish with mint for a delightful Levantine treat. Get the recipe.

Sometimes it’s really hard to let go of summer. Breakup gently with this arak-laced granita. Lemonade syrup with a hint of orange blossom water is mixed with arak and poured over shaved ice. Serve this boozy freeze with sugar-coated chickpeas—a common Middle Eastern confection. Get the recipe.

For the more adventurous drinkers, there’s the Beirut Cocktail—a warming blend of arak, Scotch, green tea, lemon juice and orange bitters. It still capitalizes on arak’s affair with all things citrus, but does it in a way that appeals to those dreary autumn days. Get the recipe.