Skip to playerSkip to main content
Raisin moonshine banned in Iran enjoys return in New York

Thousands of miles from their war-struck homeland on May 2, 2026, four Iranian friends living in New York are producing aragh sagi, a traditional spirit banned by the clerical authorities along with all alcohol following the 1979 Islamic revolution.

VIDEO BY DIANE DESOBEAU / AFPTV / AFP

Check out our Streaming Channel: https://streaming.manilatimes.net/

Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe

Visit our website at [https://www.manilatimes.net](https://www.manilatimes.net/)

Follow us:
Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook
Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram
Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter
DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion

Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital

Check out our Podcasts:
Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify
Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts
Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic
Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer
Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein

#TheManilaTimes
#WorldNews
Transcript
00:05We soaked the raisins for like maybe three days so they get rehydrated.
00:12And then right now we're about to crush it.
00:38It was just a conversation about how much we missed it because that's something like,
00:41you know, we grew up just drinking Aragh Sagi.
00:43We didn't have access to any other thing.
00:46And it kind of started there.
00:48Like, okay, you should make it.
00:49And we started making it at home.
00:52Like, we got it.
01:20This is like a Sultana raisins.
01:22It's very similar.
01:24And like the California is the same climate.
01:26So it was always around, but it wasn't, it was always a shh, don't talk about this.
01:33And like in the parties and weddings, everybody is drinking, but like, just, we just don't
01:39want to get caught.
01:41Well, like, it's really tough to be, to like seeing all these images and then you still
01:47have to go to work and like, live your daily life.
01:52But your brain is somewhere.
01:54So technically you live in two countries, in a way, at the same point.
01:57Physically you're here, but like you constantly, like, have an eye over there.
02:04People drink, people that haven't had this in many years.
02:08They just like, smell it and they tear up because they're like, oh, damn.
02:13Like I, this is like what we used to drink 45 years ago.
02:20So it's kind of like, it's, it is very therapeutic.
02:46And then at the end, we top it up with a little bit of sour beer.
02:52We don't even use this anymore because we found them like the sumac flowers, but here
02:56we're using the Persian sag, arak sag.
02:59We use for our Persepolis.
03:01We do an ounce and a half of that.
03:04We do one pomegranate cordial.
03:06This is where the Middle Eastern flavors come in.
03:08Also Iranian flavors as well.
03:13Nice little shake.
03:17Also Iranian beer, Brooklyn-based company called Back Home Company.
03:22This was basically like a tribute for the Iranian companies in Brooklyn having the sag and Back Home beer
03:27all together in one cocktail with a little bit of Middle Eastern flavor as well.
03:30This is what brought us together.
03:31So honestly, we started getting sag and then I started meeting the guys here.
03:35Super awesome people, very friendly.
03:36Well, we should be back.
03:39What's that?
03:39No, she's still here.
03:40She's still here till, uh...
03:42Well, I think so.
04:12You
Comments

Recommended