Arak or araq (Arabic: ﻋﺮﻕ) is a distilled Levantine spirit of the anise drinks family.

[2][6] It is distilled and consumed across a wide area in the Middle East,[2][7] including in Lebanon,[8][9][10] Syria,[11] Jordan,[12] Egypt, Israel, Iraq and Palestine.

Arak is a stronger flavored liquor, and is usually mixed in proportions of approximately one part arak to two parts water in a traditional Eastern Mediterranean water vessel called an ibrik (Arabic: إبريق ibrīq) from Middle Persian or Parthian *ābrēz.

This dilution causes the clear liquor to turn a translucent milky-white color; this is because anethole, the essential oil of anise, is soluble in alcohol but not in water.

This results in an emulsion whose fine droplets scatter the light and turn the liquid translucent, a phenomenon known as the ouzo effect.

Arak is often served with meze, which may include dozens of small traditional dishes, as well as with grilled meat.

Since the civil war, however, the companies' profits and the price of arak, has declined, with their combined market share falling to under half.

[19] During the age of austerity in the early years of the State of Israel, arak was locally made, with few imports.

[24] Iranian Armenians locally manufacture black-market arak in Iran,[24][25] and some foreign brands are also smuggled in the country.

Instead of being irrigated, the vineyards are left to the care of the Mediterranean climate and make use of the natural rain and sun.

The grapes, which are harvested in late September and early October, are crushed and put in barrels together with the juice (in Arabic el romeli) and left to ferment for three weeks.

The ratio of alcohol to aniseed may vary and it is one of the major factors in the quality of the final product.

For a quality arak, the finished spirit is then aged in clay amphoras to allow the angel's share to evaporate.