Château Ksara’s arak wins US gold award

July 02,2019 0 Rita Ghantous

Château Ksara, Lebanon’s leading winery, once again demonstrated its pedigree and high standards of craftsmanship, when Ksarak, the winery’s arak, took the Gold Medal in the ‘Best Buy’ category at the 2019 International Review of Spirits in Chicago.

The judges were unanimous in their findings, declaring that ‘Ksarak’ possessed all the elements of an outstanding spirit. The official citation read, “Clear color. Herbal aromas and flavors of black licorice, black pepper, oregano and tarragon with a velvety, crisp, fruity sweet medium body and an effortless, medium-long finish. A complex arak with subtle herbal nuance and in-check heat.”

Ksarak is triple-distilled and infused with aniseed sourced exclusively from the village of Heeneh on the foothills of Mount Hermon. The plant is then aged for 28 months in locally-made clay amphorae. Similar to the aging process of Scotch whisky, arak loses 11-12% of its so-called Angels’ share during the maturation process.

Ksarak is made with Merwah and Obeideh, two ancient Lebanese grapes and Ugni Blanc, a variety used in the production of Cognac and Armagnac. These are valued for their freshness and were originally planted by the Jesuits, who founded Château Ksara in the Bekaa Valley in 1857.

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Arak, Lebanon’s national drink, can trace its origins back to the 7^th century and many historians believe it to the father of all spirits and the drink that inspired the great eaux de vie of the Mediterranean basin.

Château Ksara is mainly known for its award-winning wines, but given its close relationship with the grape has always produced arak. Like Château Ksara’s wines, Ksarak is a staple on the Lebanese dining table where diners value its palate-cleansing qualities when eating the many mezze dishes.

“We are proud that our dedication to quality and artisanal distillation has been recognized by such a distinguished body,” said Château Ksara’s President Zafer Chaoui.

Ksarak is an outstanding spirit and a wonderful example of a proud tradition,” said Michael Karam author of “Arak and Mezze: The taste of Lebanon. “Arak is the “stealth” spirit. It has, till now, flown under the radar of all but the world’s connoisseurs but we hope that now it will achieve the popularity it deserves outside Lebanon.”

chateauksara.com

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About author

Rita Ghantous

Publication Executive

Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.