Kosher Blog

A visit to the Zachlawi Arak factory

Rabbi Avi Finegold recently visited the Zachlawi Arak factory in New Jersey to see their production run and hear about upcoming products. Here is his report.

Mordechai Kairey decided to produce arak, a fig-based liqueur also known as ma’hia (pronounced “mach-i-ya”), after obtaining a recipe from his former landlord, an elderly Sephardic man who used to make homebrew arak for his friends. Armed with this recipe, Kairey studied at the Ethanol Technology Institute and he was off. The main component of his arak is a concentrated fig juice that he distills to make a lightly fruit-flavored spirit, which is then distilled five times with a combination of fennel, anise seeds, and star anise — which he tells me was used in the arak made by the famed Abuchatzeira family. This is all cooked in a copper still. much like mash is cooked for scotch and bourbon.

To create a truly fine drink, one needs to have a good nose and palate. The first spirits off the still are called “heads” and are not of the same quality than the later spirits. A series of tastings determine at which point the right taste is achieved and bottling can begin.

This is definitely not your typical light aperitif. For those of you who have never had arak, know that it packs a serious punch. At 86-proof and above, this definitely qualifies as a serious alcoholic beverage, yet there is much less harshness than one would expect, and there is a definite fruitiness to it. This is enhanced even more in the Zachlawi “Fig” variety, a darker, richer and smoother option. While traditionally served straight up — when I asked Kairey how he thinks it should be drunk, he responded “With good friends!” — it can be served over ice, which turns the liquid a milky white, and I can easily imagine some great mixed drinks, if that’s your thing. Kairey also mentioned that he knows of people who use it as a marinade for chicken kabobs with excellent results.

So, what’s in the pipeline for Zachlawi? In the coming weeks, they will be releasing a kosher sambuca — an Italian-style anise liqueur — and shortly thereafter, they’ll have a pareve Irish Cream ready to be bottled. Longer-term plans include a caramel-apple liqueur to coincide with Rosh Hashana. Kairey also has a cask of arak aging in the factory — he has “no idea” what he’s going to do with it yet, but I imagine it will result in a much smoother and darker arak. (Though I would opt for a seasoned cask for such aging, kashrut issues likely preclude him from doing that).

Right now the product is only available in New Jersey and New York, though he hopes to be distributing throughout the northeast and other Jewish markets shortly. Visit his website at www.zachlawi.com for more information, and product updates.

As a bonus to Kosher Blog readers, I have a Zachlawi t-shirt ready to mail out to the first person who emails me at avi at avtherav dot com and tells me what “ma’hia” means.