Arak Brun 5 Year Special Reserve Liqueur

Detailed Description

Named after François-Eugène Brun, Arak Brun might be the world’s most famous arak! Its production has been uninterrupted since the inception of the winery in 1868. It is made from the alcohol of estate grown Obeidi and Cinsault grapes, harvested at optimum ripeness, and blended with fresh anise. Since 2015, Domaine des Tourelles grows its own anise in Deir el Ahmar, a village in the district of Baalbek. Their arak is produced inside a hundred-year-old cellar, processed traditionally using a three-stage distillation in traditional alembics, and aged for 5 years in old clay jars. Arak is not sweetened. Serve with water – ice can be added.

Distillery Information

Domaine des Tourelles is one of the longest established and most highly acclaimed wineries in the Bekaa Valley. Founded in 1868 by French adventurer François-Eugène Brun, the estate was the first commercial cellar in Lebanon producing wines, arak and other spirits. In 2000, it was bought by the Issa and Issa-el-Khoury families, both close to the Brun family through, respectively, lifelong friendship and cousin ties. The domaine is run today by Faouzi Issa (winemaker), his two sisters Christiane and Joanne (a talented artist who created the visual identity of the winery) and Emile Issa-el Khoury. Faouzi trained in Montpellier and worked at Domaine René Rostaing in Côte Rôtie before joining the legendary Château Margaux, from 2007 to 2008. He then went back to the Bekaa Valley and his efforts placed his family’s wines amongst the most recognized and awarded in Lebanon. Decanter Magazine called him the “Dusty Winemaker”: dust, Faouzi says “encourages the natural yeasts that give our wines their distinctive character.” The winery also boasts a museum worthy collection of old machines.