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| STORY
OF ARRACK |
Just
before the rising of the sun, along the palm-lined coast of
Sri Lanka, in the byroads among the coconut estates are seen
men wearing loincloths and carrying a set of special tools attached
to a belt.
Moving about selecting certain coconut trees nimbly they climb
up the tree to reach the flower from which they extract the
nectar.
Water brought
up to the leaves from the soil through the roots and trunk is
transported as sap to the flowers. Crushing the end of the flower
and slicing a few millimetres with a sharp knife makes the nectar
flow out. The nectar collected in a pot placed under the flower
ferments into alcohol. A good coconut tree can yield one to
two litres of nectar (toddy) a day. Although trees can be tapped
throughout the year it is customary to rest the trees during
the dry season.
The coconut palm or “Cocos Nucifera” as it is botanically
known is a tall slender, graceful tree with a plume of large
pinnate leaves swaying in the breeze, seen mostly in the beaches
and coastal areas of Sri Lanka. A coconut palm can grow up to
about 70-80 feet in height.
The coconut flower is the most interesting feature of this splendid
tree. Although in its infancy it is sealed within its natural
sheath, when it opens, the light orange flower is so beautiful
and unique that it is cut and used as decorations at auspicious
functions and occasions. But to obtain the sap it has to be
cut before it blooms.
The Toddy Tapper, as the person in the loincloth is known, has
a truly hazardous duty. It not only involves climbing up trees,
but he also has to move from tree to tree on a flimsy aerial
bridge that just consists of two ropes.
The milky white sap the toddy tapper has collected ferments
very quickly and becomes the heady liquid which is called toddy.
The potent liquor is sometimes consumed as it is, but most of
it is poured into wooden barrels and sent to the nearby collecting
centres.
From the collecting centres the fermenting toddy now in wooden
barrels, is tested and graded for quality and then transported
to the nearby distillery.
The toddy from the collecting centres is brought to the distillery.
After further grading for quality, the toddy is sent to the
stills to start the distilling process.
At the distillery, the toddy is purified and processed in copper
stills and the coconut spirit extracted by a method of distillation.
The extracted spirit is stored in wooden vats made from Halmilla
timber. This particular timber is ideal for maturing spirit
since it has the ability to make the coconut spirits mellow.
No artificial flavours of ingredients are added. After a period
of years in the vats, the spirits are diluted and blended to
perfection.
Arrack comes in a range of types with subtle variations in ageing
and blending. At the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka the blending
is carried out by a master blender in accordance with age-old
traditions. This delicate skill is passed down from generation
to generation.
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History
