Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to access exclusive content and expert insights.

subscribe now subscribe cover image
Joanna Lobo profile imageJoanna Lobo

The Goan summer beverage is seeing an unprecedented popularity. What does it mean for the drink?

What does the gradual popularity of urak mean for Goa’s beloved summer drink?

The Goan summer beverage is seeing an unprecedented popularity. What does it mean for the drink?

Everyone has a (secret) source. Goans who drink urak, an apt thirst-quencher in the summers, have that one anonymous person they usually source it from, and are generally reluctant to share that source, since urak is that special to Goans. 

Urrac/urraca/urak is the first distillate of the fermented juice of the cashew apple. Its ABV (Alcohol By Volume) percentage is lower than that of feni, it has a subtler aroma and tropical, fruity notes. It’s a special drink—a favoured summer refresher, largely responsible for the increase in Limca sales around the time. 

Urak season starts in February/March and ends by May. The fact that it is available for a short period of time definitely increases its appeal. It is best consumed fresh; refrigeration, some believe, dilutes its potency. Urak is typically had with water, chilled over ice, or with Limca and soda, salt, a squeeze of lime and may be a slit chilli. The pour is typically 90ml or larger.

Once consumed only by Goans, urak is slowly finding favour among others, too. Interestingly, urak is a drink that doesn’t need publicity. “It  has become popular on its own. Who is marketing it and telling tourists to drink it? Nobody! And yet, it is everywhere,” says Hansel Vaz, founder of Cazulo Feni, who believes urak is a fun “recruiting drink” for new feni consumers. 

“It is available only for three months, so people look forward to it. It is a fun drink, everyone is excited when it comes out and it lends itself perfectly to what we think of as a summer beverage,” says Nathaniel da Costa, partner at Hideaway Café and Bar. 

Joseph Bar in Panjim serves homemade urak

Joseph Bar in Panjim serves homemade urak

A Goan tavern scene, by cartoonist Mario Miranda

A Goan tavern scene, by cartoonist Mario Miranda

Fruity flavours

A local Goan spirit finding favour beyond Goans means more demand, and more awareness about the process and the people making it. “It’s great that more people are discovering and enjoying it. Hopefully it means distillers are getting paid more and finding recognition,” says da Costa.

The popularity of urak in restaurants and bars is translating into mixologists and bartenders creating special cocktails using fruits, juices, herbs and even other spirits. As with feni, these cocktails appear to be providing an introduction to this spirit. “We think urak is best drunk in its classic form. There are people who still haven’t tried the drink and for whom having an urak-based cocktail is the easier way to do it,” says Da Costa. 

Hideaway introduced urak cocktails in 2019. They encourage people to have it the classic way but, those seeking cocktails are served one, always customised. 

Elsewhere, Miski Bar’s special menu pairs the spirit with Vaum botanical waters. Amber Cocktail Bar uses gooseberry and pineapple, and kokum and cranberry in their urak cocktails; Mustard Caféincorporates guava, a hibiscus and ginger cordial, blue pea infused tea and lavender, and bimbli; Juju uses bimbli, and tender coconut water; The Flying Goat uses mango and kokum, smoked tomato and chilli tincture, a haldi ginger cordial, and coconut and pineapple; Carlito’s by the Sea uses passionfruit, guava, and cucumber and spirits like coconut rum, beer and gin; Tikibab uses chillies, kokum, coriander, guava, and bimbli; and Raasta uses guava and jalapenos. 

Peep Kitchen and Avo’s Kitchen has an annual cocktail festival pairing urak with kokum, pineapple juice, cucumber and mint, and raspberry puree. “We do this every year, especially for tourists who are not accustomed to it. People like to see how it works in a cocktail,” says Amey Naik, partner at both restaurants. “It does really well and since it is not an expensive drink, the pricing is comparatively cheaper.” 

“THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO STILL HAVEN’T TRIED THE DRINK AND FOR WHOM HAVING AN URAK-BASED COCKTAIL IS THE EASIER WAY TO DO IT”

Nathaniel da Costa

Urak is a single distillate from cashew apple juice

Urak is a single distillate from cashew apple juice

The cost of fame

While there are advantages to urak having its moment in the sun, there is a cost too. High demand and increased consumption could mean less urak to distill into feni. “What can be commercially exploited are the folks making it,” says Atish António Fernandes of Joseph Bar and Miski Bar. “Bulk-buying should be discouraged and labelling of bottles should be frowned upon. Backyards and home distils should be protected and kept away from the commercial glare.”

Then there are the cocktail critics who believe that using too many ingredients in an urak cocktail dilutes its essence, overcomplicating the drink. “It is a light spirit; it doesn’t have the structure to create a cocktail,” says Vaz. “If it needed cocktails, Cazulo would’ve invented it decades ago!” 

Vaz doesn’t recommend “messing with it” but keeping it simple: using a single ingredient and a single garnish. Interestingly, the spirit is sold for ₹100-200 per bottle/ litre, but the price gets doubled or even tripled if served in a cocktail at restaurants and bars. 

Urak may not be an industrialised spirit but Goans still have their own standards for it—it should be popping with ripe cashew flavour and low on alcohol content (15 to 20 per cent). “If you go higher to 30 per cent, it turns spirit-like and pungent. It should taste like cashew juice but better because it has alcohol, and it must be cloudy,” says Vaz. After all, urak is a drink meant to be fun and frivolous. It’s a celebration of Goa’s summer bounty and by extension, Goa itself.

Also Read: It’s not long before an Indian city is the next cocktail capital of the world

Also Read: Why are more Indians drinking cocktails in the comfort of their homes?

Also Read: Is Goa’s culinary heritage disappearing?


Subscribe for More

Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to access exclusive content and expert insights.

subscribe now