Quick answer
An arrack tasting in Sri Lanka is easiest to arrange at a well-stocked hotel or cocktail bar in Colombo or Galle Fort, where three or four arracks can be poured side by side. A useful flight runs from a blended or old arrack, through a young pure coconut arrack, to one or two aged coconut arracks, with 15 to 20 ml of each. Taste from lightest to oldest, neat first and then with a few drops of water. Expect to pay roughly US$10 to US$30 a person.
Key takeaways
- Colombo and Galle Fort have the best-stocked bars for an arrack tasting, with aged bottlings available by the glass.
- A good arrack flight has three or four pours of 15 to 20 ml each, tasted from lightest to oldest.
- Including one blended arrack in the flight shows clearly what pure coconut distillate adds.
- An informal arrack tasting at a hotel bar typically costs roughly US$10 to US$30 a person.
- Early evening, before dinner and before any cocktails, is the best time to taste.
Why an arrack tasting is worth half an hour
An arrack tasting is the quickest way to understand a spirit most visitors meet only in a tall glass with ginger beer. Side by side, the differences between blended, pure and aged arrack are obvious even to people who rarely drink spirits.
An arrack tasting also saves money. A bottle bought after tasting is a bottle you know you like, and the pours are small enough that the whole flight amounts to roughly two standard drinks.
Where to arrange an arrack tasting
Arranging an arrack tasting does not require a specialist venue. Any bar with four or more arracks can do it if asked, and quieter early-evening hours make staff more willing to talk.
- →Colombo hotel bars: the deepest lists, including the oldest bottlings.
- →Galle Fort heritage hotels: good ranges in a memorable setting.
- →Cocktail bars in Colombo: bartenders who enjoy explaining arrack.
- →Beach and hill-country hotels: smaller ranges, but usually three styles.
- →Private villas: a tasting set up by your guide with bottles bought in advance.
A four-glass arrack flight
A four-glass arrack flight covers the whole ladder of styles without repeating itself. Ask for 15 to 20 ml of each in small stemmed glasses, with still water on the side.
- →Glass one: an old arrack or other blend, as the baseline.
- →Glass two: a young 100 per cent coconut arrack.
- →Glass three: a coconut arrack aged roughly five to eight years.
- →Glass four: the oldest arrack the bar holds, often ten to 15 years.
- →Optional fifth: palmyrah arrack, if you are tasting in the north.
How to taste the flight
Tasting an arrack flight works best in a fixed order, lightest to oldest, so that the fuller spirits do not flatten the delicate ones.
- →Compare colours first, without assuming darker means older.
- →Smell each glass gently before tasting any.
- →Sip the first neat, then add a few drops of water and sip again.
- →Drink water and eat a plain cracker or cashew between glasses.
- →Go back to glass one at the end; it will taste different.
What to eat with a tasting
Food with an arrack tasting should be mild. The chilli-laden bites that suit a long arrack and soda will numb the palate within minutes.
Plain roasted cashews, unsalted crackers, mild cheese and pieces of kithul jaggery are ideal. Save the devilled chicken and hot butter cuttlefish for afterwards, with a long drink made from whichever arrack you liked least neat.
Fitting a tasting into your trip
Fitting an arrack tasting into a trip is easiest on the first or second evening, in Colombo or Negombo, so the knowledge is useful for the rest of the journey. A second, shorter tasting in Galle near the end helps decide what to buy.
Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a hosted tasting with a bartender or guide who knows the producers, in a hotel or at your villa, and can add a toddy tapping visit earlier the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I do an arrack tasting in Sri Lanka?
Hotel bars and cocktail bars in Colombo and Galle Fort are the best places, since they stock several arracks including aged ones. Ask the bartender for small pours of three or four styles. Tour operators can also arrange hosted tastings in hotels or villas.
How much does an arrack tasting cost?
An informal flight of three or four small pours at a hotel bar typically costs roughly US$10 to US$30 a person before service and taxes, depending on how old the arracks are. A hosted private tasting with food costs more.
How many arracks should I taste at once?
Three or four is ideal. Fewer gives little to compare, and more tires the palate. With pours of 15 to 20 ml, a four-glass flight contains roughly the alcohol of two standard drinks, so it is manageable before dinner.
In what order should I taste arrack?
Taste from the lightest and youngest to the fullest and oldest: a blended or old arrack first, then a young pure coconut arrack, then progressively older bottlings. Tasting in the reverse order makes the lighter styles seem thin.
Do I need to book an arrack tasting?
Not for an informal flight at a hotel bar; simply ask, ideally in the quieter early evening. Hosted tastings, private sessions at villas and anything involving a particular bartender or rare bottle should be booked a few days ahead.
Can I taste arrack on a poya day?
No. Alcohol is not sold or served anywhere in Sri Lanka on poya days, including in hotels. Plan the tasting for another evening. Your guide can tell you the poya dates for your trip, which follow the lunar calendar and shift each year.