Beyond Vodka & Whiskey: 6 Regional Distilled Spirits with Global Reach

 

🫗🍸🍹From the vibrant streets of Seoul to the Andean highlands, certain spirits are more than beverages — they are cultural signatures. This post explores six iconic drinks: Arak, Cachaça, Chacha, Mezcal, Pisco, and Soju. 🍶🍸

Though diverse in geography, these drinks share key similarities:

• Single-origin spirits, distilled from native ingredients like grapes, sugarcane, agave, or rice.
• Distilled, not blended or fortified, preserving their authentic essence.
• Traditionally consumed neat in social and everyday settings.
• Carried across borders through cultural exchange, yet each retaining deep local roots.

All six owe their existence in a large part to the alembic still, credited to 8th-century alchemist Abū Mūsā Jābir ibn Ḥayyān, who refined distillation while working on cosmetics. Alembic was a distillation pot still that distilled alcohol from beer.  Over centuries, the alembic pot still spread across continents, from Asia to Europe to the Americas.  The alembic made it possible to also distill whiskey, cognac, rum and liqueurs like sambuca, limoncello and sherry among others.  While modern production uses advanced stills, artisan distillers still favor the alembic technique, using copper or glass pots for their purity and batch production.

Let’s explore the story behind each drink.

 

🥃 1. Arak

Ingredients: 🍇🌿Fermented grapes (Marawi and Obaideh variety), flavored with anise seeds. 📍Sometimes prepared with dates or figs instead of grapes, based on regional variation.

Region & Origin: 📍Levant ((notably in Lebanon), Syria, Iraq, Jordan), other Middle Eastern countries, Egypt, other North African countries and Northern Caucasus region.  📍National drink of Lebanon. 📍Origins traced to 8th century with the invention of alembic distillation.

Distilling & Aging:📍Triple-distilled in copper or stainless-steel stills. 🏺Aged in clay pots for at least 1 year under Lebanese regulations, before being bottled and sold. 📍Ranges from 40-70% ABV.

When/How & Pairings: 📍Consumed as an aperitif or at gatherings, weddings, and casual hangouts.  Mixed with water (1:2 ratio) to create “lion’s milk,” a cloudy white drink. 📍Served with mezze, grilled meats, seafood, olives, and tabbouleh. 

Did you know?: 📍Arak inspired Turkey’s raki, Greece’s ouzo, and the Balkans’ rakija/rakia. 📍The name 'arak' comes from the Arabic word ‘araq’ meaning 'to sweat' or 'to perspire', a nod to the condensation during distillation.

 

🌱 2. Cachaça

Ingredients: 🫗Fermented sugarcane juice.                                                                

Region & Origin: 🏝️Brazil, where it’s the national spirit. 📍In 16th century by slaves on sugarcane plantations, when sugarcane and alembic distilling techniques were introduced by the Portuguese.     

Distilling & Aging: 📍Distilled in copper pot stills or column stills. 📍Unaged (clear) or aged up to 3+ years in wood barrels for smoother, darker expressions.  Ultra premium variety can be stored for up to 15 years.  📍Ranges from 38–54% ABV.

When/How & Pairings: 🍹Enjoyed neat in Brazil or mixed in the classic Caipirinha cocktail. 🥭Pairs well with tropical fruits, grilled seafood, and churrasco barbecue.🍖                                   

Did you know?: 📍Cachaça has a similar syrup texture as rum but it has a more floral, bright and earthy profile.  📍Cachaça simply means 'cane liquor' and can only be produced in Brazil.

 

🏔️ 3. Chacha

Ingredients: 🍇Grape pomace (the skins and seeds left from winemaking), sometimes wild fruits, figs, mulberries.

Region & Origin: 📍The country of Georgia (Caucasus). Chacha is the national drink of Georgia, it's origins dating back to ~11th century AD.

Distilling & Aging: 📍Double-distilled in copper stills or improvised setups in rural areas. Usually unaged but some aged briefly in oak barrels. 📍Ranges from 40-80% ABV.

When/How & Pairings: 🫗Served neat as shots, often as a welcome drink or digestif during special events, wedding, feasts (supras) and casual hangouts. 🥟Pairs beautifully with khinkali (Georgian dumplings).

Did you know?: 📍Kakheti, Georgia’s top wine region, produces most of the country’s chacha and also accounts for 75% of all wine production in Georgia. 

🔔[For more information about Georgia or Kakheti wine region, please read my Georgia blog]. 🔔

 

🌵 4. Mezcal

Ingredients: 📍Agave hearts (piñas), roasted and fermented. Various agave species used (e.g. espadín, tequilana). 📍Mezcal contains 100% agave, 60% when infused with other ingredients.

Region & Origin: 📍Mexico. Originated from native pulque (fermented agave nectar), distilled since the 17th century with Spanish arrival.

Distilling & Aging: 📍Double-distilled in copper or stainless-steel stills. Autoclaves or traditional clay/brick ovens for baking the agave. 📍Unaged (joven), briefly aged (reposado), or aged 1+ years (añejo). 📍Mezcal can also be infused with fruit ('abocado') or distilled with fruit, herbs or meat.

When/How & Pairings: 🍸Enjoyed neat with citrus and salt, or in cocktails like the Margarita and Negroni. 🥘Pairs with mole, grilled meats, and local Mexican cuisine.

Did you know?: 📍Mezcal means 'baked agave 📍Tequila is a type of mezcal made from blue agave.  It is named after a place in Jalisco.  Only mezcal produced in Jalisco can be referred to as Tequila.  📍Oaxaca produces 90% of mezcal. 📍Global mezcal market is ~$604 million (2024), expected to reach ~$2.1 billion by 2033. 📍USA consumes ~70% of exports.

 

🌄 5. Pisco

Ingredients: 🍇Grapes (Quebranta, Moscatel, etc.). 📍No additives permitted in Peruvian pisco, in order to retain its flavor.

Region & Origin: ⛰️Peru and Chile. Created in the 17th Century with alembic distillation techniques introduced by Spanish settlers.

  
Distilling & Aging:📍Double-distilled in copper pot stills. In Peru, bottled at distillation strength without dilution or additives. Aged briefly in neutral vessels (glass or steel). 📍Ranges from 30-50% ABV. 

When/How & Pairings: 🧉Served neat or in cocktails (e.g. Pisco Sour, Serena Libre), iced coffee (Piscoffee) or colas (Piscola). 🥘Often paired with ceviche, grilled seafood, and South American cuisine.

Did you know?: ⛵Pisco is named after the Peruvian coastal town of Pisco. 📍Chile produces more pisco, but Peru exports more. 📍Peru’s pisco won “Best Liquor” in the 2011 Brussels competition.

 

🍶 6. Soju

Ingredients: 🌾Primarily rice (also barley, wheat, or sweet potatoes in some cases). 🍒Modern versions include fruit-flavored soju and yogurt soju, to attract the younger population.

Region & Origin: 🌅South Korea. 📍Originated in the 13th century via Mongol introduction of alembic distilling techniques learned from the Levantine and Persian arak makers.

Distilling & Aging: 📍Originally single-distilled. 📍Typically unaged. 📍ABV ranges from 12–53%, though mass-market versions are ~20% ABV.

When/How & Pairings: 🍲Consumed neat, especially with Korean barbecue and spicy dishes. Soju cocktails such as soju mojito, kimchi soju cocktail are also very popular 🍶Poured by the youngest at the table as part of Korean etiquette.

Trivia: 📍Soju means 'burned liquor'. 📍Soju is the world’s best-selling spirit, valued at ~$5.57 billion in 2024.

 

📝 Final Sip: Shared Roots, Local Flair

Each of these deeply rooted drinks, invites you to taste a region’s soul, whether in a glass of smoky mezcal or a smooth sip of soju.

Start exploring:

• Sip Arak with mezze
• Toast with Soju at a barbecue
• Try a Pisco Sour with ceviche
• Savor Chacha with Georgian food
• Sample Mezcal with mole
• Enjoy Cachaça in a Caipirinha by the beach

Cheers to culture in every pour!

Until next time, folks. Stay sharp, stay curious. 🎯🌍✨

🔔[Thanks for reading! Explore more about food and dining in the Avantiqa 360 Food without Borders series and discover other blogs on travel, lifestyle and business at Avantiqa 360 site.]

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