Alcohol Belts of Europe - Arrack Belt

Arrack Belt

The wine belt is bounded by a string of Islamic countries from the south (the Maghreb) and east (Turkey and Azerbaijan), where consumption of alcohol was often incompatible with social norms (see Alcohol in Islam) and which, therefore, can be thought to comprise an "abstinence belt" depending on one's piousness. Alcohol consumption in southern Wine Belt countries such as Spain and Italy (11.6 and 10.6 liters of alcohol per capita, per year, as of 2005) sharply contrasts with estimated consumption south of Mediterranean: 1.5 liters/capita/year in Morocco, 1.0 liter in Algeria, 0.1 liter in Libya, and 0.4 liters in Egypt. Arrack distilled from date palm sap was considered by some Muslims as a loophole in the prohibition against alcohol because it is neither made from grain nor fruit, and therefore not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, thus allowing its consumption. Prior to the arrival of Islam in those countries, most of them were wine-consuming; the exception was Egypt and Mesopotamia, where (merissa) beer predominated (on account of large production of grains). Grapes continue to be cultivated in many of these countries; for example, Egypt ranks 13th in the world by grape production (as of 2009), and produces 1.5 million metric tons of grapes per year - almost as much as Australia. However, most of these are table grapes, and only a tiny part of the total harvest is used to produce wine.

A liquor distilled from wine and flavoured with spices and herbs is known as arak, rakia, rakı or arrak and arraki (in Sudan). This arrak belt extends into the southern Mediterranean, the Balkans and even France. Ouzo, absinth, sambuca, mastika, and pastis are very similar to arak and may be considered types of arrack. The term Arrack is also used for distilled liquors from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia. These are made from palm sap instead of grains or grapes. For this see arrack. The method of tapping date palms and distilling the fermented sap (palm toddy) also originates in the Middle East and Egypt where it was used in areas unsuitable for grape cultivation.