The Pink Shoe Diaries

when i was in Lebanon two summers ago, i came to realize pretty quickly that if you're going to party with the grown-ups, you have to learn to handle your Arak

Arak is a strong, anisette-type liquor that EVERYONE drinks with their meals. they drink it before the meal. during the meal. after the meal (it's a digestive, supposedly although i always thought that was kind of an excuse to booze). it's clear like water but when you add ice or water it turns milky-white.

even ME, someone who has been known to strap on when it comes to drinking, was usually only able to handle two glasses over the course of the meal. meanwhile everyone else finishes the bottle and is fine to drive. cool.

and just now I was in Marty's on my lunch break (as usual) and i found a couple of bottles of it hidden behind the Campari (which i was GOING to buy so i could make these tonight, but i try to limit my weekly alcohol budget to $50 or less so it was either the Arak or the Campari) so of course I bought the Arak and there will now be lots of alcoholic fun this week.

and then, thanks to my good friend Google, i found this list of Arak cocktails.

my personal favorite:

Freshness of a summer's evening
1 measure of Arak Fakra
Orange juice to complete
1 slice of lemon

or pehaps i can interest you in a

Lebanese night
1 vanilla-flavoured ice ball
1 rose syrup ice ball
1 dash of Arak Fakra
1 dash of rose syrup

so if you feel like an Arak cocktail, come on over!

and please bring ice balls.