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Arak Sour

Name: Arak Sour
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 120 ml arak; 60 ml fresh lemon juice; 40 ml simple syrup; 30 ml cold water; 200 g ice cubes; 2 slices lemon slice

Arak Sour is a bright, refreshing cocktail with zesty lemon, gentle sweetness, and the unmistakable floral-anise character of Lebanese arak. Shaken ice-cold, it becomes silky, cloudy, and intensely aromatic, making it an elegant aperitif or mezze companion.

10 min

2 servings

168 kcal

Lebanese

Ingredients

Cocktail base

120 mlarak
60 mlfresh lemon juice
40 mlsimple syrup
30 mlcold water

To shake and serve

200 gice cubes
2 sliceslemon slice

Instructions

1
Chill 2 small coupe or rocks glasses if possible. Juice the lemon if not already done, and measure all ingredients accurately; this drink is best when the balance of sweet, sour, and anise is precise.
2
Fill a cocktail shaker with most of the ice cubes. Add the arak, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and cold water.
3
Shake hard for 12-15 seconds until the shaker feels very cold. Proper shaking both chills the drink and lightly aerates the citrus, giving a smoother texture.
4
Strain into the chilled glasses. If serving on the rocks, divide a few fresh ice cubes between the glasses first, then strain over them.
5
Garnish each drink with a lemon slice and serve immediately. The drink should taste bright and tart up front, with a sweet finish and the signature cloudy anise note from the arak.

Nutrition per serving

168 kcal

Calories

Protein

10g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•If you prefer a drier sour, reduce the simple syrup to 30 ml total.
•Arak turns milky when diluted with water or citrus; this is traditional and caused by the essential oils from anise.
•For the cleanest flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled juice.
•A chilled glass keeps the drink crisp without excessive dilution.

Background

Arak is the classic Levantine anise spirit, especially associated with Lebanon, where it is traditionally mixed with water alongside mezze. The sour-style serve is a more modern cocktail adaptation that combines arak's distinctive licorice aroma with the familiar citrus-sugar balance of a classic sour.

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