Quick answer
Sri Lankan arrack and Batavia arrack are different spirits that share a name. Sri Lankan, or Ceylon, arrack is distilled from fermented coconut flower sap and is soft, floral and close to a light rum. Batavia arrack comes from Java in Indonesia and is distilled from sugarcane molasses fermented with a starter of red rice, giving a pungent, funky spirit usually bottled at around 50 per cent. Old punch recipes generally mean Batavia arrack, but Sri Lankan arrack makes a lighter, more elegant substitute.
Key takeaways
- Sri Lankan arrack is made from coconut flower sap; Batavia arrack is made from sugarcane molasses with fermented red rice.
- Batavia arrack takes its name from Batavia, the colonial-era name of Jakarta on the island of Java.
- Batavia arrack is pungent and funky and usually bottled at around 50 per cent ABV, stronger than Sri Lankan arrack.
- Both arracks were shipped to Europe by the Dutch and English East India companies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
- Sri Lankan arrack can replace Batavia arrack in punch for a softer result, but the flavour is not the same.
Sri Lankan arrack vs Batavia arrack at a glance
Sri Lankan arrack and Batavia arrack come from different plants, different islands and different traditions of distilling. The shared name reflects how European traders used the word arrack for almost any Asian spirit.
- →Origin: Sri Lanka's south-west coast; the island of Java, Indonesia.
- →Raw material: coconut flower sap; sugarcane molasses with red rice.
- →Character: soft, floral and light; pungent, earthy and funky.
- →Typical strength: 33 to 40 per cent; around 50 per cent.
- →Main modern use: long drinks and sipping; punches and classic cocktails.
Sri Lankan arrack in brief
Sri Lankan arrack begins with toddy tappers collecting sap from coconut flowers twice a day. The sap ferments naturally within hours and is distilled within about a day, then aged in vats of halmilla wood.
Sri Lankan arrack is the gentler of the two spirits. Its flavours are coconut blossom, honey and light spice, and it is drunk across the island with soda, ginger beer or water, and neat when aged.
Batavia arrack in brief
Batavia arrack is made on Java from sugarcane molasses. Fermentation is started with cakes of fermented red rice, a technique brought by Chinese distillers, and the wash is distilled in pot stills.
Batavia arrack has a strong, savoury, almost smoky funk that is closer to a high-ester Jamaican rum than to anything from Sri Lanka. It is rarely drunk neat. Most of it has long been exported to Europe, where it flavours Swedish punsch, confectionery and bartenders' punches.
Why two spirits share the name arrack
Two spirits share the name arrack because of trade. The word derives from the Arabic araq and was applied by merchants across the Indian Ocean to locally distilled liquor of many kinds.
The Dutch East India Company controlled both Java and, from the mid-seventeenth century, coastal Ceylon, and shipped arrack from each. Galle and Colombo exported coconut arrack by the cask. Sailors and punch drinkers in Europe knew both, and the distinction between them was commonplace until rum pushed arrack aside.
Which arrack a cocktail recipe means
Which arrack a recipe means depends on its age and source. Modern bartending books are usually specific. Older ones are not.
- →Historic punch recipes: usually Batavia arrack.
- →Swedish punsch: Batavia arrack.
- →Recipes from Sri Lanka or naming Ceylon arrack: coconut arrack.
- →Recipes that treat arrack like a light rum: coconut arrack.
- →No clue given: use Sri Lankan arrack for a softer drink, Batavia for a punchier one.
Tasting the Sri Lankan side of the story
Tasting Sri Lankan arrack where it is made adds a setting to the history. Galle Fort, built up by the Dutch company that traded both arracks, has bars within its ramparts where an arrack punch is a fitting order at sunset.
Lankan Stays & Trails can combine a walk through Galle Fort's Dutch-era streets with an arrack tasting, and a stop at a tapping grove on the drive down from Colombo.
- →Choose Sri Lankan arrack if you want a spirit to sip or to mix long.
- →Choose Batavia arrack if you are recreating a historic punch at home.
- →Choose Galle Fort at sunset if you want the history with the drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sri Lankan arrack and Batavia arrack?
Sri Lankan arrack is distilled from fermented coconut flower sap and is soft and floral. Batavia arrack is distilled on Java from sugarcane molasses fermented with red rice and is pungent and funky. They share a name through colonial trade, not through ingredients.
What is Batavia arrack made from?
Batavia arrack is made from sugarcane molasses. Fermentation is started with cakes of fermented red rice, which contributes to its distinctive savoury aroma, and the wash is pot distilled. It comes from Java in Indonesia and is usually bottled at around 50 per cent alcohol.
Can I substitute Sri Lankan arrack for Batavia arrack?
Yes, with a different result. Sri Lankan arrack gives a lighter, more floral punch and has less funk and strength. To move closer to the original, some bartenders add a small measure of a pungent Jamaican rum alongside the coconut arrack.
Which arrack is used in punch?
Traditional European punch recipes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries generally used Batavia arrack, though arrack from Ceylon and Goa was also shipped and used. Either works today. Batavia gives an assertive bowl and Sri Lankan arrack a gentler one.
Is Batavia arrack sold in Sri Lanka?
Batavia arrack is not a normal part of the Sri Lankan market, where arrack means the local coconut spirit. You are unlikely to find it in shops or bars on the island. It is mainly sold in Europe and by specialist retailers elsewhere.
Why is it called Batavia arrack?
Batavia was the name the Dutch gave to their colonial capital on Java, today's Jakarta. Arrack distilled around the city and exported through its port by the Dutch East India Company became known in Europe as Batavia arrack, and the name has lasted.