Raki Recipe
Make Raki Recipe in just 24h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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For the raki (makes about 1 liter)
For dilution and serving
Method
Fermentation (make the wine wash)
Prepare must
Crush the grapes to extract juice (must). If using fresh grapes, press or crush to collect about 3–4 liters of juice from 4 kg grapes. If using concentrated grape must, dilute according to manufacturer's instructions to obtain about 3 liters of wash.
Optional: add one crushed Campden tablet per 4–5 liters of must, wait 24 hours to kill wild yeast/bacteria if you want greater control.
Pitch the distillation/wine yeast (about 1 tsp). Ferment in a sanitized fermentation vessel, fitted with an airlock, at 18–25°C until activity slows and specific gravity is around 1.000 or lower — typically 5–14 days depending on yeast and temperature.
When fermentation finishes, rack (siphon) the fermented wine off the lees into a clean container and let it settle 24–48 hours. Aim for a clear wash of approx. 10–12% ABV.
First distillation (strip/distill the wash)
Transfer the fermented wash into a clean, appropriately rated still (copper pot still preferred for traditional flavor). Leave sediment behind.
Heat slowly and collect the heart fraction. Perform a gentle distillation to separate heads, hearts and tails. Collect the full distillate (the 'low wines') at approx. 25–30% ABV depending on setup — typically volume will be about 1–1.5 liters from 3 liters of wash.
Measure ABV of the low wines and set aside for the spirit rectification run.
Second distillation with anise (rectification and flavoring)
Prepare the anise infusion: lightly crack the 80 g whole anise seeds to release oils (use mortar and pestle or gentle crushing).
Charge the still with the low wines and enough neutral grape spirit or water to bring the charge to an appropriate volume for your still (do not exceed safe fill limits). Add the cracked anise into the still's botanical basket or directly into the pot depending on still design. If your still has a separate maceration chamber, macerate anise in a portion of the low wines for 8–24 hours at room temperature before running.
Heat and distill slowly. Collect heads separately (discard the first small foreshots of high-volatility compounds — about 1% of the run by volume). Then collect the heart (this is your raki). Monitor alcohol strength during run.
Traditionally, Turkish raki is distilled twice and the final spirit is cut and diluted to bottling strength (approx. 40–50% ABV). Aim for a final distillate heart fraction rich in anise aroma. Typical yield: about 700–1000 ml of flavored spirit depending on starting volumes.
If desired, blend a small amount (up to 20%) of earlier neutral grape spirit to round the character. Adjust cuts for taste.
Finishing and bottling
Measure the ABV of the collected raki. Dilute with filtered water to desired bottling strength, commonly 45% ABV for traditional raki. For a softer drinking spirit, 40% ABV is acceptable. Use calculated dilution: volume_final = (ABV_initial * volume_initial) / ABV_target.
Rest the bottled raki at least 1–2 weeks to allow flavors to marry; many producers rest for months. Store in dark, cool place.
To serve raki: pour 30–50 ml raki into a glass, add cold water (about 2–3 times the spirit) and ice as desired. The spirit will turn milky-white (louche) as the anethole oils emulsify.