Batavia Arrak is considered by some an ancestor of rum. It is a funky spirit that enhances citrus and spice notes, and it so good with tea.  It all starts in Java, an Indonesian island with a rich heritage and culture. Local red rice is boiled and molded into cakes. These cakes are put into baskets over a vat, and as they ferment with the help of natural, indigenous yeast, a liquid drops into the vat below. That liquid is collected and mixed with a heavy measurement of molasses, and then distilled in Chinese-style pot stills.