Raki

Our brands under the category of raki, which is believed to date back to 500 years ago, consists of Yeni Raki, Tekirdag Raki, Kulup Raki, Altinbas, Izmir Raki, Civan Raki and Tayfa Raki. Following the abolition of the state monopoly on alcoholic beverages and and privatization of the industry in Turkey, the way was paved for raki production by the private sector for the first time in 2001. In accordance with this law, the definition stating "Raki, which is produced by a second distillation of suma, a grape-based distillate, or suma mixed with agricultural ethyl alcohol in traditional copper stills of five thousand liters or of a smaller volume with aniseseed, must be produced in Turkey and at least 65% of the total alcohol contained in the product must consist of suma." was introduced in Article 3 of the Law Nr. 4250.

Our Brands

As can be seen, the definition of raki plays an important role in history, and it has been governed and subjected to both specific provisions as an alcoholic beverage and general provisions as a foodstuff. However, introduction of the definition of raki in the law in 2001 is of importance. In this way, the state was no more the sole producer and new producers entered the market with the adoption of the free market model, and traditional raw materials and the production process of raki were preserved, thus securing the future of raki. In 2009, "raki" was registered with a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent Institute and was taken under preservation. We, as Mey|Diageo, preserve the heritage inherited to us, and are committed to the traditional ways of raki production and drinking, bring 500 years of history to the present with its unique style. With every new product we introduce to our portfolio, we aim to preserve the specific manner of raki.

Brief History of Raki

1326

It was recorded in the historical archives that Orhan Ghazi, the second Ottoman sultan, sent wine and raki as a gift to Geyikli Baba and his dervish murids, who helped him conquering Bursa in 1326. This demonstrates that raki was known in the 14th century.

1510-1514

According to Abdulbaki Golpinarli, the literature historian who found out that the word raki was mentioned in Turkish literature for the first time in the masnavi "Beng u Bade" of the great divan poet Fuzuli, this work of art was completed in 1510-1514. Accordingly, the history of wine was considered to be at least 500 years old.

1556

Raki is mentioned as raqui in the Spanish manuscript that was handwritten by an unknown author in 1567, found in 1905 and published as a book under the title Viaje de Turquia (Travel to Turkey). The narrator is held captive by the Ottomans in 1552-1556, and drinks raki for the first time in his life on the island of Lemnos, one of the stops along his route of escape.

1630

In the first volume of Seyahatname (Book of Travel) by Evliya Celebi, which describes Istanbul, the famous traveler tells about raki, which he mentions as "A drops of it is not haram", and the taverns of that period. Evliya Celebi reports that there were raki traders, who were known as esnâf-i arakciyan (araq makers), and numerous taverns in Istanbul in the first half of the 17th century. Raki is flavored with various spices and herbs such as linden, cloves, cinnamon, and also anise.

1678

In his handwritten manuscript dated 1678 and telling about his trip to Izmir, the famous French orientalist Antoine Galland, who introduced "1001 Nights Tales" to the West, provides very important details on the history of raki while reporting araq consumption in the taverns of the city.

1700-1702

The French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort also includes the notes on raki production, consumption and trade while telling about his trip to the Ottoman Empire. Then, we see that raki became widespread in Anatolia and Aegean islands by the 18th century.

Raki Culture

It is derived from the Arabic word "arak", which means sweat. It is also suggested that it is called Raki because it was first made from Razaki grapes. "Beng u Bade" of Fuzuli was the first written source it was mentioned, and it was referred to as "arak".  ​

Raki was also mentioned in Seyahatname (Book of Travel) by Evliya Celebi in the 17th century, and started to be consumed widely in the 19th century.

Geographical Indication

It is defined as "a product that is produced using traditional raw materials or is characterized by a traditional composition or a method of production that corresponds to a traditional production method or is clearly distinguishable from similar products under the same category as it has undergone processes reflecting such method of production even if it has not been directly based on a traditional production method" (Turkish Patent, 2018).

Local products, which are referred to as specific cultural heritage, are evaluated as specific products because of their characteristics specific to a certain area, and the traditional processes they undergo with raw materials specific to that area give them distinctive characteristics.

The production, raw material and process definitions of raki are set out in the Distilled Alcoholic Beverages Communiqué under Turkish Food Codex (Communiqué no: 2016/55, Annex-1, Item A). Raki has a registered geographical indication in Turkey.