Quick answer
Coconut arrack is distilled entirely from fermented coconut flower sap, while blended arrack combines coconut arrack with neutral spirit, usually made from molasses. Coconut arrack is fuller, more aromatic and typically 36 to 40 per cent alcohol, and costs roughly twice as much. Blended arrack is lighter, slightly sweeter and typically 33 to 37 per cent. Choose coconut arrack for sipping, cocktails and gifts, and blended arrack for long drinks with soda, cola or ginger beer.
Key takeaways
- Coconut arrack contains only distilled coconut toddy; blended arrack adds neutral spirit to it.
- Coconut arrack is usually bottled at roughly 36 to 40 per cent ABV and blended arrack at roughly 33 to 37 per cent.
- Coconut arrack typically costs around twice as much as blended arrack in Sri Lanka.
- The supply of coconut arrack is limited by the number of toddy tappers, which is why blends dominate sales.
- The label wording 100 per cent coconut arrack is the reliable way to tell the two apart.
Coconut arrack vs blended arrack: the difference
Coconut arrack and blended arrack differ in one thing above all: how much of the spirit in the bottle began as coconut flower sap. Everything else, from flavour to price, follows from that.
- →Coconut arrack: 100 per cent distilled coconut toddy.
- →Blended arrack: coconut arrack plus neutral spirit.
- →Special and extra special arrack: the most diluted blends, mostly neutral spirit.
Why most arrack is blended
Most Sri Lankan arrack is blended because there is not enough toddy to go round. Each palm gives only a litre or two of sap a day, every litre must be collected by hand at height, and the number of tappers is falling.
Neutral spirit, by contrast, can be made in large quantities from sugarcane molasses on efficient column stills. Blending it with coconut arrack produces an affordable drink in the island's preferred light style, which is why blends account for most of what is sold.
How coconut and blended arrack taste
Coconut arrack and blended arrack are easy to tell apart when tasted neat, and harder once ice and a mixer are involved.
- →Coconut arrack: floral and nutty on the nose, rounded on the palate, long finish.
- →Blended arrack: lighter, a touch sweeter, shorter finish.
- →With soda or ginger beer: coconut arrack still shows; blended arrack recedes.
- →With cola: the difference almost disappears.
Price and strength compared
Price is the clearest signal of which kind of arrack is in a bottle. A full bottle of blended arrack costs roughly US$10 to US$20 in a licensed Sri Lankan shop, while a pure coconut arrack usually starts at around US$20 and climbs with age.
Strength follows the same pattern. Blended arracks are commonly bottled at 33 to 37 per cent alcohol, and coconut arracks at 36 to 40. Both figures are hedged ranges, and the label gives the exact number.
Which arrack to choose
Choosing between coconut and blended arrack depends on what will be done with it. Neither is a mistake in the right setting.
- →Choose coconut arrack if you want to taste what arrack really is.
- →Choose coconut arrack for sours, old fashioneds and other spirit-forward cocktails.
- →Choose coconut arrack for a gift or a bottle to keep.
- →Choose blended arrack if it will be poured long for a group.
- →Choose blended arrack if budget matters more than nuance.
Finding coconut arrack in Sri Lanka
Finding pure coconut arrack in Sri Lanka is easy in the larger licensed wine stores of Colombo, Negombo, Galle and Kandy, and in most hotel bars. Small rural shops may stock only the blended styles, so buy in a town if a particular bottle matters to you. Hotel bars on the south coast between Bentota and Mirissa will usually pour one of each on request, which lets you compare the two for the price of a couple of drinks.
Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a short comparative tasting of a blended and a coconut arrack at the start of a trip, which makes every later order at a bar a more informed one.
Frequently asked questions
Is all arrack made from coconut?
No. Only bottles labelled 100 per cent or pure coconut arrack are made entirely from coconut flower sap. Blended, special and extra special arracks contain coconut arrack mixed with neutral spirit, usually distilled from molasses. Palmyrah arrack in the north uses a different palm.
What is blended arrack?
Blended arrack is a mix of coconut arrack and neutral spirit. It is lighter and cheaper than pure coconut arrack and is the style most widely drunk in Sri Lanka, generally with soda, cola or ginger beer over ice.
Is coconut arrack better than blended arrack?
Coconut arrack has more flavour, body and length, so it is better for sipping and for cocktails. Blended arrack is perfectly good for long, cold drinks and costs about half as much. Better depends on the use.
What is neutral spirit in arrack?
Neutral spirit is a highly purified alcohol with little flavour of its own, produced on column stills. In Sri Lanka it is typically made from sugarcane molasses. Distillers blend it with coconut arrack to make lighter, more affordable styles.
Why is pure coconut arrack more expensive?
Pure coconut arrack relies entirely on hand-tapped sap, which is scarce and labour-intensive, and it is usually aged longer and bottled stronger. Higher strength also attracts more excise duty. Blends reduce all three costs by using molasses-based spirit.
How do I know if my arrack is 100 per cent coconut?
Read the category wording on the front or back label. It will state 100 per cent coconut arrack or pure coconut arrack. If it says blended, special or extra special, it is not. Price is a second clue: pure bottles cost noticeably more.