How Bali’s trendiest bars are championing the revival of an ancient spirit

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. For us, rice is sacred, and so is arak, and there’s this sense that arak is connected to the gods.” open image in gallery Traditionally the Balinese liqueur is made from coconut palm flowers or rice Sadly, this wasn’t a viewpoint shared by the tourists gleefully knocking back cheap shots of home-brewed arak produced by a handful of unscrupulous distillers, none of whom were regulated. Although the clear liquid is undeniably fiery, there’s also a delicate, floral sweetness I didn’t expect This new wave of licensed arak producers, whose araks typically have ABVs of between 33 and 45 per cent, are being embraced by mixologists such as head bartender Jan Jurecka, whose workplace is the Willy Wonka-esque arak cellar at the Four Seasons Resort Jimbaran Bay’s Telu bar. “All Balinese distillers will benefit from arak’s upward journey,” says Jan. “Making arak is tough – it requires a lot of manual labour. But as it becomes more popular, these people will know their efforts have been justified – not only in monetary ways but in the sense of cultural pride.” open image in gallery The Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay Telu bar brings a new lease of life to arak cocktails Mixologists such as Jan are aware that arak’s reputation means many visitors view the spirit with suspicion, and they’re going all out to transform its image.