Yeni Rakı is the benchmark expression of Turkey’s most celebrated spirit — a 500-year tradition born in Anatolia, crafted from high-quality aniseed and suma distilled from a well-balanced mixture of dried and fresh grapes. Unlike any other drink in the world, rakı is a spirit with an entire cuisine devoted to it — transparent in the bottle, turning a distinctive milky white when mixed with water, and always best enjoyed slowly with mezze, good food, and great conversation. The spirit of Turkey, in a glass. 700mL.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Crystal clear in the bottle — transforming into a distinctive, luminous milky white when mixed with water, the hallmark louche of rakı that has defined the Turkish drinking tradition for 500 years. Serve in a tall, narrow rakı glass over ice.
Aroma
Intensely aromatic — high-quality Turkish aniseed (Pimpinella Anisum) dominates with its distinctive, powerful fragrance, underpinned by the clean, grape-derived character of suma. The aroma of Yeni Rakı is unmistakable and deeply evocative of the Anatolian tradition from which it was born.
Palate
Bold and characterful — the powerful aniseed character of Turkish Pimpinella Anisum carries through on the palate with the clean, smooth warmth of grape suma. Rakı contains the least sugar of any aniseed spirit — no extracts, no added herbs, just grapes and aniseed distilled in traditional copper alembics. Serve with equal parts natural spring water, chilled to 8–10°C, for the ideal rakı experience.
Pairs With
Rakı is the only alcoholic beverage to have developed its own food culture — the rakı table. Serve with classic Turkish mezze: white cheese, melon, grilled fish, calamari, stuffed vine leaves, hummus, and fresh vegetables. The focus of the rakı table is never the food alone, but the atmosphere of warm conversation with friends, family, and loved ones.
How Do I Serve Rakı?
First add rakı to the glass, then add water slowly, then a couple of ice cubes. The water added to rakı should ideally be limeless, soft, chlorine-free natural spring water. For the ideal taste, the glass, rakı, and water should all be chilled to 8–10°C. The traditional drinking style is equal amounts of water and rakı — and always consumed slowly, with mezze, in a warm and vibrant environment.
Why Is Yeni Rakı Famous?
Yeni Rakı — “New Rakı” — was introduced when the Republic of Turkey centralised rakı production under the government monopoly Tekel, reflecting the new era of Turkish spirits production. For over 60 years it was the definitive expression of Turkish rakı, and today — under Diageo ownership following the acquisition of Mey Diageo in 2011 — it remains the benchmark of the category. Rakı is a distinct category with a production process specific to Turkey, with geographical indication registered alongside Ouzo (Greece), Pastis (France), and Sambuca (Italy).
What Makes Rakı Different?
Unlike Ouzo, Pastis, or Sambuca, rakı uses only high-quality grapes and Turkish aniseed (Pimpinella Anisum) in the distillation process — no extracts, no additional herbs. The suma is redistilled with aniseed in traditional copper alembics of 5,000 litres or smaller, giving rakı its unique taste and the lowest sugar content of any aniseed spirit. It is the only aniseed spirit produced exclusively by distillation — not maceration or blending — which is what gives rakı its unmistakable character.
What’s Similar?
Fans of Yeni Rakı may also enjoy Greek Ouzo for a comparable aniseed-forward Mediterranean spirit, or explore Pastis de Marseille for a French aniseed spirit tradition. For a sweeter aniseed experience, Italian Sambuca offers a different expression of the Mediterranean aniseed spirit family. Within the rakı category, Tekirdağ Rakı and Altınbaş Rakı are worth exploring for a comparable Turkish tradition.
