What is rakı? Inside Türkiye’s iconic aniseed spirit

This article is inspired by a WSET Bitesize webinar exploring the history, production and cultural significance of rakı. The webinar was presented by WSET educator Dennis Byram, whose Turkish heritage and spirits expertise bring a uniquely personal perspective to one of Türkiye’s most iconic drinks. You can watch the full webinar recording on the WSET Events Hub. Rakı is one of Türkiye’s most distinctive spirits. Made from grapes and flavoured with aniseed, it is traditionally enjoyed with food and water, which turns the clear spirit a characteristic cloudy white. But understanding rakı means looking beyond how it is made. For centuries, it has been part of dining and social life in Türkiye, developing alongside the people and cultures that have shaped the country. Its story reaches back through the Ottoman Empire to much older traditions of distillation in the region. What makes rakı unique? Rakı is often described as an aniseed-flavoured grape spirit, but that only gets you so far. U

by WSETglobal · source ↗