Tekirdag Rakisi

About Yeni Raki

Yeni Raki is Turkey's best-selling raki, an anise-based spirit often referred to as the country's national drink. For newcomers, it's an accessible way into raki culture: the flavour is clean and easy to recognise, and the ritual of adding water and watching the glass turn milky white is as much an experience as a drink. For more experienced drinkers, Yeni Raki matters as a benchmark - it's the raki every other Turkish anise spirit gets compared to, and its sheer scale makes it one of the best-selling spirits in its category worldwide, even though few outside Turkey know the name.

History & Background

Raki traces its roots back to the Ottoman period, when anise-flavoured distillation of grapes and raisins spread across the eastern Mediterranean. The name Yeni - meaning 'new' in Turkish - dates to 1944, when the state alcohol monopoly Tekel consolidated Turkish raki production under a single, standardised brand. After Tekel's privatisation in the 2000s, Yeni Raki passed to the company Mey İçki, which in 2011 was acquired by British drinks giant Diageo for well over a billion dollars - one of the clearest signs of how central raki is to Turkish drinking culture. Today Yeni Raki remains deeply embedded in the country's food and drink culture, typically sipped slowly with mezze rather than drunk quickly.

Production & Style

The raki is distilled from grapes or raisins with added anise, giving it its characteristic anise flavour and milky-white colour when water is added.

Signature Style

Anise, Clean, Spicy
The flavour has a clear anise character with a clean, spiced finish.

Facts

Did You Know?

Raki is often called 'lion's milk' in Turkish, precisely because the drink turns milky white and cloudy the moment it's mixed with water.

Like Yeni Raki? You should also try:

Antica Sambuca and Hapsburg Absinthe.