Quick answer
Flavoured and spiced arracks are rare in Sri Lanka. A few producers have released infused or flavoured bottlings from time to time, but they come and go and are not a settled category. The stronger tradition is at home and in bars, where arrack is infused with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, lime peel, pandan or kithul treacle. Milk wine is the best-known example. Spiced arrack is easy to make after your trip with a young coconut arrack and local spices.
Key takeaways
- Commercial flavoured arracks are rare and not a settled category in Sri Lanka.
- Home and bar infusions with local spices are a much stronger tradition.
- Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, lime peel and pandan are common flavourings.
- Milk wine, steeped with spice and citrus before clarifying, is the best-known infused arrack drink.
- A young coconut arrack makes the best base for spicing at home.
Commercial flavoured arrack
Sri Lankan producers have experimented with flavoured and infused arracks at various times, from spiced versions to fruit-flavoured bottlings aimed at younger drinkers. These products tend to appear, sell for a while and disappear, and none has become a fixture in the way flavoured rums have abroad.
If you find one, read the label carefully. Some are arrack with natural spices; others use flavourings and sugar and sit closer to a liqueur. Strength may be lower than standard arrack, and coconut content varies.
Most enthusiasts prefer to buy plain coconut arrack and flavour it themselves, which gives more control and a more authentic result. That approach also matches how arrack has long been used in Sri Lankan homes.
- →Status: rare, appearing and disappearing.
- →Styles: spiced or fruit-flavoured.
- →Check: label for flavourings and strength.
Home infusions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan kitchens have always been full of spice, and arrack has naturally absorbed some of it. Families and bartenders infuse arrack with cinnamon bark, ginger, cardamom, cloves and black pepper, or with lime and orange peel, for punches, festive drinks and cocktails.
Milk wine is the best-known example. Each December, Burgher and other Christian families steep spices and citrus peel in arrack before adding milk, clarifying the mixture and bottling a golden, spiced liqueur. The steeping step is a home infusion in its own right.
Hotel bars have built on this tradition with house-infused arracks, often flavoured with cinnamon, pandan or tea, used in signature cocktails. Asking the bartender about them is a good way to taste local spices in a glass.
- →Spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper.
- →Citrus: lime and orange peel.
- →Best-known: milk wine.
The spices that suit arrack
Ceylon cinnamon, the true cinnamon grown along the south-west coast, is the most natural partner for coconut arrack. Its sweet, delicate flavour sits well with coconut fruit and halmilla wood, and a stick or two transforms a bottle in a few days.
Ginger gives warmth and a sharp edge that echoes the classic pairing of arrack and ginger beer. Cardamom and cloves add festive depth, black pepper a gentle heat, and pandan a grassy, vanilla-like aroma that many Sri Lankans associate with rice and sweets.
Kithul treacle is not an infusion in the strict sense, but stirred into arrack it gives a dark, smoky sweetness. It is the key to the arrack old fashioned that many bars now serve.
- →Cinnamon: sweet, delicate, the classic.
- →Ginger: warm, sharp.
- →Pandan: grassy, vanilla-like.
How to spice arrack at home
Start with a young or lightly rested pure coconut arrack, whose fresh fruit welcomes spice. Put a 750 ml bottle's worth into a clean glass jar and add one or two Ceylon cinnamon sticks, a few slices of fresh ginger, three or four cardamom pods and a couple of cloves.
Seal the jar and leave it somewhere cool and dark. Taste every day. Cinnamon and citrus peel work within two or three days, while cloves become strong quickly and should come out early. Strain through a fine sieve or coffee filter when the balance is right.
Bottle the spiced arrack and label it with the date and spices. Use it in punches, with ginger beer, in a hot toddy with tea or neat over ice. Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a spice garden visit so you can buy Ceylon cinnamon and cardamom at source.
- →Base: young coconut arrack.
- →Time: two to five days, tasting daily.
- →Strain: fine sieve or coffee filter.
Drinks with spiced arrack
Spiced arrack and ginger beer with lime is the simplest and one of the best serves. In a punch, spiced arrack with tea, lime, sugar and water echoes the old colonial arrack punches. With hot tea and honey, it makes a warming drink for a cool hill country evening.
In stirred cocktails, a cinnamon-infused arrack with kithul treacle and bitters makes an aromatic old fashioned. In sours, a ginger-infused arrack adds bite without needing ginger syrup.
Spiced arrack also works in cooking, for flambéing bananas or soaking fruit for Christmas cake, where many families use arrack or brandy.
Buying flavoured arrack and spices
If you want a commercial flavoured arrack, ask in larger licensed wine stores in Colombo and at duty free, where any current releases are most likely to be stocked. Do not expect a wide choice.
For spices, buy Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and pepper from spice gardens, markets or supermarkets. Cinnamon quills graded by thickness are easy to pack and keep for months in an airtight jar.
Never buy infused spirit from informal sellers, however appealing the label or story. Licensed arrack plus your own spices is safer and better.
Frequently asked questions
Is there flavoured arrack in Sri Lanka?
Occasionally. A few producers have released flavoured or spiced arracks, but they come and go and are not a settled category. Ask in larger licensed wine stores and duty free for anything current. Most enthusiasts prefer to buy plain coconut arrack and infuse it themselves.
What spices go well with arrack?
Ceylon cinnamon is the classic partner, with ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, lime or orange peel and pandan also working well. Kithul treacle adds a dark, smoky sweetness. Start with small amounts, taste daily and remove strong spices such as cloves early.
How do I make spiced arrack?
Put a young coconut arrack into a clean jar with one or two Ceylon cinnamon sticks, a few slices of ginger, some cardamom pods and a couple of cloves. Seal, keep cool and dark, taste daily and strain after two to five days when the balance suits you.
Is milk wine a flavoured arrack?
In part. Milk wine begins with arrack steeped with spices and citrus peel, which is a home infusion, but milk and sugar are then added and the curds strained out, producing a sweet, clear liqueur. It is best thought of as a clarified milk punch built on spiced arrack.
Which arrack is best for infusing?
A young or lightly rested pure coconut arrack is best. Its fresh fruit welcomes spice, and it lacks the heavy wood flavours that can clash with infusions. Everyday blends work too but taste thinner. Save aged arrack for sipping rather than infusing.
Can I buy Ceylon cinnamon to take home?
Yes. Ceylon cinnamon quills are sold in spice gardens, markets and supermarkets across Sri Lanka, graded by thickness. They pack easily and keep for months in an airtight jar. Check your home country's rules on bringing plant products, though dried spices are usually allowed.
Do hotel bars serve infused arrack?
Many hotel and cocktail bars make house-infused arracks with cinnamon, pandan, tea or citrus for their signature drinks. Ask the bartender what they infuse. Tasting a cocktail made with house-spiced arrack is an easy way to try local flavours in a glass.