ARRACK, a spirituous liquor manufactured at several places in the East Indies, namely, Goa, Columbo, and Batavia. In India every kind of spirituous liquor is known under the general appellation of arrack; and hence the various accounts given of the mode of making it, and the materials used. English gin is called by the natives English arrack,—and it is certain that the several kinds of arrack differ as much in flavour as brandy, rum, or any other spirituous liquor. The manufacture of arrack was formerly carried on by the Portuguese at Goa, but the art of making it has been transferred for the most part from that place to Batavia.

Goa and Batavia are the chief places for arrack. At Goa there are divers kinds; single, double, and treble distilled. The double distilled, which is that commonly sent abroad, is but a weak spirit in comparison with Batavia arrack; yet, on account of its peculiar and agreeable flavour, is preferred to all the other arracks of India. This flavour is attributed to the earthen vessels Which they use at Goa to draw the spirit; whereas at Batavia they use copper stills.

The Parier arrack made at Madras, and the Columbo and Quilone arrack at other places, being fiery, hot spirits, are little valued by the Europeans, and therefore rarely imported, though highly prized among the natives. In the best Goa arrack, the spirits of the cocoa juice do not make above a sixth or eighth part.

The Goa arrack is invariably made from a vegetable juice called toddy, which flows by incision from the cocoa-nut tree. When a sufficient quantity of toddy is procured, it is left to ferment, which it soon does. When the fermentation is over, and the liquor or wash is become a little tart, it is put into the still; and a fire being made, the still is suffered to work as long as that which comes over has any considerable taste of spirit. The liquor thus procured is the low wine of arrack; and this is so poor a liquor, that it will soon corrupt and spoil if not distilled again, to separate some of its phlegm; they therefore immediately after pour back this low wine into the still, and rectify it to that very weak kind of proof spirit, in which state we find it. The arrack we meet with, notwithstanding its being of a proof test, according to the way of judging by the crown of bubbles, holds but a sixth, and sometimes but an eighth part of alcohol, or pure spirit; whereas our other spirits, when they show that proof, are generally esteemed to hold one half pure spirit.

Batavia arrack is obtained by distillation from rice and sugar. A hot, fiery spirit is imported into Batavia by the Chinese Junks, called samshew, which is mixed with arrack, and which is chiefly consumed by the Chinese who reside in that settlement.

The following are the East India Company’s regulations for shipping arrack, &c. No arrack or other spirits are permitted to be shipped in India or China in any of the Company’s ships returning to Europe, except for the use of the ship’s company on the voyage, or in the immediate privilege of the commander and officers. Each cask or chest shipped for the use of the ship’s company must be marked “stores ;” and those shipped on the private account of any of the officers shall be marked with the name at length of the person to whom it belongs; and such casks or chests as shall not be so marked shall be taken and deemed to be the property of the commander. The tonnage of arrack is calculated at 252 gallons per ton.