Cocktail of the Month: Arak Punch
By • March 10, 2026 0 489
Where is the oldest bar in the world? That title can be “complicated” based on how “oldest” is defined.
For example, in Washington, D.C., the Old Ebbitt Grill is widely recognized as the oldest saloon. It began in 1856 as a boarding house and tavern, but has moved several times, from today’s Chinatown to the National Press Building, then to its current 15th Street location in 1983.
The Round Robin Bar in the Willard Hotel, often called the “Oval Office of Bars,” was established earlier, in 1847. However, the hotel was closed from 1968 to 1986, disqualifying the bar’s claim to continuous operation.
Georgetown’s darling, Martin’s Tavern, which opened in 1933, is the oldest bar in the nation’s capital to remain in its original location under continuous ownership.
But what if we were to talk about the actual structure containing a bar? Despite having a reputation as a “dry” region, we need to look to the cradle of civilization for the answer.
Outside the main gate of the ruins of Petra in southern Jordan, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, lies the Cave Bar. Located in the Petra Guest House, this restaurant-bar-lounge is set inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean tomb.
I stumbled upon this gem by accident while exploring the breathtaking, rose-red sandstone architecture of Petra’s top sights, including the Treasury, the Monastery, the Theater and the Royal Tombs.
After my second day of playing Indiana Jones, I saw an advertisement for a bar just outside the site’s main entrance. There were several outdoor tables, but it was the stone entrance with a simple wooden sign announcing “The Cave” that piqued my interest. Inside the cavernous space, carved into the rocky landscape, ancient pillars and walls had been chiseled to create intimate coves holding tables and chairs covered in traditional Bedouin fabrics.
The cocktail menu boasted several “themed drinks” such as “One Night in Petra,” “Petra Summer” and “Between the Caves.” These concoctions sounded refreshing, but all used ingredients I could easily find in any Western bar.
When I asked the bartender for something local, he suggested the “Arak Punch,” made from a Jordanian-produced spirit, Arak Haddad.
Arak is a traditional, clear, anise-flavored spirit that is a staple of Jordanian and Levantine culture. It is typically distilled from grapes and flavored with aniseed, resulting in a strong liquorice-like taste.
Dating to the 8th century, arak likely originated from early distillation experiments by Arab alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan. Derived from the Arabic word for “perspiration” (referencing condensation in the still), this high-proof grape brandy, nearly as old as the ruins of Petra, has become a cultural staple in the region.
The Arak Punch combined this traditional liquor with orange juice and grenadine (a pomegranate syrup), both of which come from native Middle Eastern fruits. Served in a goblet glass with a striped paper straw, it innocently looked like something one would order from an old-fashioned soda fountain.
That was soon to change. While my first sip provided a fruity, yet tangy flavor, I was quickly hit with a tingly smack from the arak. Its peppery tang imparted a slight numbness to my tongue. After a few more mouthfuls, the arak went straight to my head.
Perhaps it was due to a steady week of teetotaling in the Wadi Rum desert, or just the strain of pushing my muscles into three-to-five-mile hikes every day. The drink went down smoothly and put me into a state of instant relaxation.
Jordanian arak can be purchased in the States. You can make your own pomegranate syrup by reducing pomegranate juice. Mix them with freshly squeezed orange juice to make this cocktail, a bracing and fresh elixir that would be an enlivening treat in any season.
Arak Punch
2 oz. arak
2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. grenadine
Mix ingredients in a shaker and serve over ice.
