Quick answer
Sri Lankan arrack, Goan coconut feni and Philippine lambanog are all distilled from the fermented sap of the coconut flower, but they differ in strength, ageing and style. Arrack is distilled by licensed industrial distilleries, aged in halmilla wood and bottled golden at 33 to 40 per cent. Coconut feni is a pot-distilled, usually unaged spirit of roughly 42 to 45 per cent with a pungent aroma. Lambanog is clear, unaged and strong, commonly 40 to 45 per cent or more, and often sold flavoured.
Key takeaways
- Arrack, coconut feni and lambanog are all distilled from fermented coconut flower sap.
- Sri Lankan arrack is the only one of the three that is routinely aged in wood, using halmilla vats.
- Goan feni is also made from cashew fruit; the coconut version is called coconut or palm feni.
- Lambanog comes mainly from the Quezon and Laguna provinces of Luzon in the Philippines and is clear and unaged.
- Arrack is the mildest of the three at roughly 33 to 40 per cent ABV.
Arrack, feni and lambanog: one family of spirits
Arrack, feni and lambanog belong to a small family of spirits made from palm sap, not from grain, fruit or cane. In each case tappers climb coconut palms to collect sap from the flower, the sap ferments naturally into toddy, and the toddy is distilled.
The three traditions grew up separately around the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. The differences between them come from the still, the scale of production and what happens after distilling.
How the three coconut spirits compare
Comparing arrack, coconut feni and lambanog side by side shows a clear spread from mellow to fiery.
- →Sri Lankan arrack: gold to amber, aged in wood, 33 to 40 per cent, soft and floral.
- →Goan coconut feni: clear, usually unaged, roughly 42 to 45 per cent, pungent and earthy.
- →Philippine lambanog: clear, unaged, 40 to 45 per cent or more, clean and strong.
- →Toddy name: raa in Sri Lanka, sur in Goa, tuba in the Philippines.
What sets Sri Lankan arrack apart
Sri Lankan arrack stands apart for its scale and its ageing. A few established distilleries process toddy from thousands of palms each day, using both copper pot stills and column stills, under excise supervision.
Sri Lankan arrack is then rested in large vats of halmilla, a local hardwood. The result is the roundest and most approachable of the coconut spirits, and the one with the widest range, from simple blends to 15-year-old sipping bottles.
- →Stills: copper pot stills and column stills, often blended.
- →Wood: halmilla vats, with some oak in modern bottlings.
- →Serve: with soda and lime, with ginger beer, or neat when aged.
Coconut feni from Goa
Coconut feni is the older of Goa's two fenis, though cashew feni is now better known. It is made by small family distillers who ferment coconut toddy and distil it in traditional pot stills, often twice.
Coconut feni is clear and strongly aromatic, with an earthy, slightly funky smell that divides opinion. It is drunk with soda, lime and salt, or with a local lemon soft drink. It is rarely aged and seldom leaves Goa.
Lambanog from the Philippines
Lambanog is the coconut spirit of the Philippines, made chiefly in Quezon and neighbouring provinces south of Manila. Tappers there also work between palm crowns on bamboo bridges, much as Sri Lankan tappers use ropes.
Lambanog is clear, clean and strong, sometimes described as coconut vodka. Traditional versions are plain, and commercial ones are often flavoured with fruit or steeped with raisins. Buyers in the Philippines are advised to stick to licensed producers, as unregulated lambanog has caused poisoning cases.
Which coconut spirit to try, and where
Choosing a coconut spirit depends on taste and on where you are travelling. Of the three, only Sri Lankan arrack is easy to find in specialist shops abroad.
Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a tapping visit and arrack tasting on Sri Lanka's west coast for travellers who have met feni or lambanog elsewhere and want to complete the set.
- →Choose Sri Lankan arrack if you like aged, mellow spirits and want something to sip.
- →Choose coconut feni if you enjoy pungent, rustic spirits such as mezcal.
- →Choose lambanog if you prefer a clean, strong white spirit.
Frequently asked questions
Is feni the same as arrack?
No, though coconut feni and Sri Lankan arrack share a raw material. Both are distilled from coconut flower sap. Feni is a small-batch, usually unaged Goan spirit of roughly 42 to 45 per cent, while arrack is aged in wood and milder at 33 to 40 per cent.
What is lambanog?
Lambanog is a clear spirit from the Philippines distilled from fermented coconut flower sap, known locally as tuba. It is unaged, commonly 40 to 45 per cent alcohol or stronger, and comes mainly from Quezon and Laguna provinces. It is sometimes called coconut vodka.
Which countries make spirits from coconut sap?
Sri Lanka makes arrack, India's Goa makes coconut feni and the Philippines makes lambanog. Small-scale coconut or palm sap spirits are also distilled in parts of Indonesia, southern India and the Pacific. Sri Lanka's industry is the largest and most regulated.
Is arrack stronger than feni?
No. Feni is usually bottled at roughly 42 to 45 per cent alcohol, while Sri Lankan arrack ranges from 33 to 40 per cent. Arrack is also smoother because it is typically aged, whereas feni is normally sold young and unaged.
Is cashew feni related to arrack?
Only loosely. Cashew feni is distilled from the fermented juice of the cashew apple, a fruit, not from palm sap. Coconut feni is the Goan spirit that shares its raw material with Sri Lankan arrack. The two fenis taste quite different.
Which coconut spirit is easiest to buy abroad?
Sri Lankan arrack is the most widely exported of the three. Bottles appear in specialist spirits shops and cocktail bars in Europe, North America and Australia. Coconut feni and lambanog are mostly sold in their home regions and are harder to find elsewhere.