Quick answer
Arrack is not rum. Sri Lankan arrack is distilled from the fermented sap of coconut flowers, while rum is distilled from sugarcane juice or molasses. Arrack ferments naturally within hours using wild yeast and is aged mainly in halmilla wood vats, where rum is usually aged in oak barrels. Arrack is drier, more floral and lighter in vanilla than most rum, and is typically bottled at 33 to 40 per cent. It can replace light or gold rum in most cocktails.
Key takeaways
- Arrack is made from coconut flower sap and rum from sugarcane, so arrack is not a type of rum.
- Coconut toddy ferments with wild yeast in a few hours, while rum washes usually ferment for one to several days.
- Arrack is aged mainly in halmilla vats, which give less vanilla and caramel than the oak barrels used for rum.
- Arrack is generally drier and more floral than rum, and closest in style to a light or gold rum.
- Coconut rum is a sweetened, flavoured rum liqueur and has nothing to do with coconut arrack.
Arrack vs rum: the core differences
Arrack and rum differ at every stage from field to bottle, even though the finished spirits can look alike. The raw material is the starting point.
- →Raw material: coconut flower sap for arrack; sugarcane juice or molasses for rum.
- →Fermentation: spontaneous and very fast for arrack; managed and slower for rum.
- →Ageing wood: halmilla vats for arrack; oak barrels for rum.
- →Typical strength: 33 to 40 per cent for arrack; 37.5 to 40 per cent or more for rum.
- →Home: Sri Lanka's south-west coast; the Caribbean, Latin America and beyond.
Coconut sap against sugarcane
Coconut flower sap is collected by hand, twice a day, from the crowns of palms, and it starts fermenting in the pot. There is no crushing, cooking or added yeast. Sugarcane is harvested, milled and either fermented as fresh juice or boiled down, with molasses left over from sugar making.
Coconut sap gives arrack a floral, slightly nutty base flavour. Molasses gives rum its familiar brown sugar and treacle notes, and fresh cane juice gives agricole rum a grassy edge. These starting flavours survive distillation.
Halmilla vats against oak barrels
Halmilla vats are the main reason aged arrack does not taste like aged rum. Halmilla is a Sri Lankan hardwood used in large, uncharred vessels, so it matures the spirit gently and adds only light colour and spice.
Oak barrels, often previously used for bourbon, give rum vanilla, toffee and toasted notes within a few tropical years. Some arrack producers now use oak for part of a blend, which moves those bottles closer to rum in character.
How arrack and rum taste side by side
Arrack and rum tasted side by side show a clear family difference. Arrack is the drier, more delicate of the two.
- →Young arrack: floral, citrus peel, a little yeast, dry finish.
- →White rum: clean, lightly sweet, sometimes grassy.
- →Aged arrack: honey, dried fruit, toasted coconut, gentle spice.
- →Aged rum: vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, oak.
Using arrack in place of rum
Arrack can stand in for rum in most mixed drinks, and Sri Lankan bars do this as a matter of course. The result is usually a little drier, so some recipes want a touch more sugar.
- →Daiquiri and sour: works very well with a coconut arrack.
- →Mojito: works, with a lighter, more floral result.
- →Mule and highball: arrack with ginger beer is a Sri Lankan standard.
- →Dark, heavy rum drinks: less suited, as arrack lacks molasses weight.
Which to drink in Sri Lanka
Drinking arrack in Sri Lanka makes more sense than drinking rum. Imported rum carries heavy duty and costs considerably more than at home, while good arrack is local, fresh and inexpensive.
Lankan Stays & Trails can point rum drinkers towards the aged coconut arracks that suit their taste, and arrange a comparative tasting at a hotel bar in Colombo or on the south coast.
- →Choose young coconut arrack if you normally drink white rum.
- →Choose an old or double distilled arrack if you drink gold rum with a mixer.
- →Choose a long-aged arrack if you sip aged rum neat.
Frequently asked questions
Is arrack a type of rum?
No. Rum is made from sugarcane juice or molasses, and Sri Lankan arrack is made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers. They are separate categories of spirit. Arrack is often compared with rum because the flavour and uses are similar.
Does arrack taste like rum?
Arrack tastes similar to a light or gold rum but is drier and more floral, with less vanilla and brown sugar. Aged arrack moves towards honey, dried fruit and toasted coconut. Many people describe it as sitting between rum and a young brandy.
Can I use arrack instead of rum in cocktails?
Yes, in most recipes that call for white or gold rum. Daiquiris, sours, mojitos, punches and mules all work well. Add a little extra sugar if the drink tastes too dry. Arrack is less suited to recipes built around dark, molasses-heavy rum.
Is arrack stronger than rum?
Generally not. Standard rum is bottled at 37.5 to 40 per cent alcohol or higher. Arrack sold in Sri Lanka ranges from roughly 33 to 40 per cent, with everyday labels at the lower end and premium ones matching standard rum.
Is coconut rum the same as coconut arrack?
No. Coconut rum is rum, usually sweetened, flavoured with coconut. Coconut arrack is an unflavoured spirit distilled from coconut flower sap, and it does not taste strongly of coconut. The similar names cause frequent confusion.
Which is older, arrack or rum?
Arrack is the older category. Spirits called arrack were being distilled and traded in South and Southeast Asia well before Caribbean rum emerged in the seventeenth century, and early European punch was made with arrack before rum replaced it.