"Rakı" is a very popular alcoholic drink in Turkey, made of raisin or grape spirit, redistilled with aniseed.

It's got the color of water, and it turns white as water or ice is added...That's why it is called the Lion's Milk..

The word "rakı" is believed to derive from "razaki", the variety of grape originally used to make rakı. The alchohol content of rakı is either 45 or 50 degrees.

After the liquor has been diluted, it is left to mature for 1 to 3 months in oak casks, before being filtered and bottled.

"Rakı" is served cold in narrow cylindrical glasses. It may be mixed with water or may be accompanied by soda water. It goes particularly well with hors d'oeuvres, among which the simplest and most popular are white cheese and melon. However, it may also be taken as an aperitif.