Arrack types for rum drinkers

Rum is distilled from sugarcane juice or molasses; Sri Lankan arrack from fermented coconut toddy. Everyday arrack blends also contain molasses-based neutral spirit, which brings them closer to light rum.

Pure coconut arrack tastes of tropical fruit, flowers and a soft nuttiness, rather than rum's caramel and cane. Halmilla ageing gives softer wood notes than rum's oak casks.

Both share warmth, sweetness and tropical character, which is why rum drinkers usually enjoy good arrack.

Strength is broadly similar. Everyday arracks sit at roughly 33 to 34 per cent, a little below most rums, while pure coconut and export arracks often sit at 36 to 40 per cent, in line with standard rum. Navy-strength rum fans will not find an equivalent, as arrack is rarely bottled above 40 per cent.

White or clear arrack, unaged or filtered, is the natural match for white rum. It tastes fresh, fruity and floral, with a sharper edge, and works in any drink that calls for white rum.

Young coconut arrack, pale and lightly rested, works almost as well and is easier to find. Its coconut notes add something white rum lacks.

Try an arrack daiquiri with lime and sugar, or a mojito-style drink with mint and soda.

Gold rum drinkers who enjoy rum and cola or rum and ginger beer will find old or double distilled arrack a close match. Both are amber, rounded and slightly sweet, and both suit strong mixers.

Arrack and local ginger beer is the Sri Lankan equivalent of a dark and stormy, and it is arguably better, as the local ginger beer is sharp and spicy.

Everyday special arrack is a lighter alternative for cola, much like a cheap gold rum.

Tiki fans can use old or double distilled arrack in place of gold rum in many tropical recipes. A mai tai-style drink with arrack, lime, orgeat and orange liqueur, or a punch with pineapple and passion fruit, takes on a gentle coconut note that suits the style surprisingly well.

Aged rum drinkers should try age-stated pure coconut arrack, from around five years. Expect vanilla, toffee, dried fruit and spice around soft coconut, with a smooth, warm finish.

Compared with aged rum, aged arrack tends to be less sweet and less heavy, with fruit and flowers where rum has molasses and caramel. Many rum fans find it a refreshing change.

Sip it neat with a few drops of water, or use it in an arrack old fashioned with kithul treacle.

Rum drinkers used to sweetened aged rums may find aged arrack drier than expected. That dryness is part of its appeal, letting fruit and wood show without sugar. If you prefer sweeter spirits, a few drops of kithul treacle in the glass bring aged arrack closer to a sipping rum.

Fans of rhum agricole, made from fresh cane juice, often love young coconut arrack. Both show the raw, grassy character of their fresh base, with vegetal and fruity notes that aged spirits lose.

Fans of funky, high-ester rums may also enjoy palmyrah arrack from the north, which is earthier and more rustic than coconut arrack.

Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a tasting that pairs your favourite rum style with its closest arrack match.

Spiced arrack is rare commercially, but easy to make. Infuse a young coconut arrack with Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and a little vanilla or orange peel for a few days, then strain.

In cocktails, arrack replaces rum in most recipes. Use young coconut or white arrack for light rum drinks, old arrack for gold rum drinks and aged arrack for dark or aged rum drinks.

Adjust sweetness: arrack is often drier than aged rum, so a little more sugar or treacle may be needed.