In a small distillery just outside Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a clear liquid drips out of a copper pot still into a stainless steel barrel, ringing like church bells.
Every year with the start of Advent, which arrives shortly after the end of the grape harvest, Nader Muaddi prepares a new batch of arak, an anise-flavoured spirit.
Arak was first produced in Iraq more than a thousand years ago and is considered the oldest distilled spirit. Historically, families across the Levant produced their own wine and arak, which they would share with guests visiting during Christmas. According to Muaddi, licensed arak factories eventually gave up on the distillation process entirely in an effort to reduce costs and increase profits, compromising its quality.
When he returned to the West Bank in 2007, he was spending so much on purchasing high-quality arak from Syria and Lebanon, a friend quipped that he should consider making his own – a challenge he took on in 2010.He read books, joined online forums, watched YouTube tutorials and kept experimenting until perfecting the recipe.
In late September and early October, Muaddi picks grapes that are high in sugar levels and undergo a natural wild yeast fermentation when crushed. It takes about a month for them to turn into wine, which is then triple distilled in a copper Arabian pot still. The aniseed is added in the third round.
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