Steeped in acrobatic skill and centuries-old knowledge, the sap of the humble coconut flower has found fresh appeal in some of Sri Lanka’s top bars.

Inside Colombo cocktail bar Uncle’s. (Courtesy of Uncle’s)

Beyond his broad smile and welcoming eyes, the first thing one notices about Ajith Hettiarachchi is his feet: strong, wide, and callused from decades of scaling coconut trees barefoot. For over 35 years he has climbed as high as 15 meters to collect the sap of the coconut flower, the lifeblood of an ancient Sri Lankan tradition. At 55, he’s taken more than a few tumbles, thankfully escaping with little more than cuts and bruises—yet such are the risks that come with working as one of the island’s last remaining toddy tappers.

When fermented, that sap becomes a milky-white liquid known as toddy, or raa in Sinhala. With a crisp, tangy bite and a hint of sweetness, the drink is refreshingly addictive, and once distilled, it forms the base of arrack, Sri Lanka’s national spirit. Twice a day, Ajith carefully harvests the sap with expertly placed cuts and a good deal of patience. It’s a practice that requires botanical knowledge, ancestral intuition, and steady nerves to traverse the thick coir ropes strung between the tops of coconut palms. Ajith says he can tap up to 100 trees in a single day.

And while those efforts are rooted in centuries of tradition, they’re also finding new resonance. Once dismissed as poor man’s drinks, toddy and arrack are now featured at hip bars in Colombo and beyond, bringing their distinct flavors to a new generation.

Tucked inside a 17th-century Dutch merchant’s house—now the Galle Fort Hotel—in the southern coastal town of Galle, Ropewalk is leading the charge with more than 70 arrack varieties plus an informative arrack tasting experience where guests can sample options spanning all price points. Head mixologist Nabil Kenny says, “Arrack lends itself beautifully to elevated international cocktails, contrary to the stereotype of it being too potent.” One of his most popular creations, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait, features Extra Strong Old Arrack blended with a rich Lion Stout reduction (another of Sri Lanka’s famed sips) and served with buttered toast. Born from the desire to create “something unexpected,” the result is a smooth, full-bodied, and balanced cocktail that, according to Kenny, feels both “familiar and surprising.”

*Left to right:* Zephyr Ceylon on the beach of Kamburugamuwa; Ropewalk’s Good Things Come to Those Who Wait blends Old Arrack and Lion Stout reduction. (Courtesy of Zephyr Ceylon; Courtesy of Ropewalk)

Farther down the coast, Zephyr Ceylon—owned by brothers Mahen and Chethaka Wijesekera—showcases arrack alongside quintessential Sri Lankan flavors such as cinnamon, curry leaves, and creamy soursop. The Zephyr Sour and Lankan Ricecolada are just a couple of the must-tries at this blissful beachside spot.

Set in a coconut grove on Pehebiya Beach in Hiriketiya, smokehouse and bar Smoke & Bitters mixes up inventive cocktails like the Bananarama, an unmissable combination of premium Halmilla Arrack, smoked wild honey, banana peel, falernum, and hellfire bitters. The same team is also behind nearby Raa, which opened late last year and has already earned a place on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Dedicated entirely to arrack and toddy—tapped daily from trees on-site—Raa offers one of the most exciting drinks menus in the country. Ingredients such as toddy syrup, ambarella (June plum) water, and iramasu (sarsaparilla) root are celebrated here. One standout tipple is the Tree of Life, a liquid homage to the coconut tree that expertly blends curry leaf and coriander arrack with fresh toddy, coconut milk, treacle, and sprouted coconut. Pure joy in a glass.

Nor has toddy been overlooked in Sri Lanka’s heady capital. At Uncle’s, one of Colombo’s best-loved bars, it’s enjoying a moment in the spotlight—served not just in cocktails, but even on tap. Owner Gehan Fernando uses oxygen removal and beer keg storage to prevent further fermentation, keeping the liquid fresh well beyond its usual 24-hour lifespan. Thanks to forward thinking like this—and to toddy tappers like Ajith—Sri Lanka’s oldest drink is finding new life, one pour at a time.

*Left to right:* Raa’s Tree of Life cocktail is a sweet-and-sour combination of milky coconut and tangy toddy; Gayan Sameera, head bartender at Smoke & Bitters. (Courtesy of Raa; Courtesy of Smoke & Bitters)

A toddy tapper at work. (Courtesy of Raa)

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2025 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“From Palm to Pour”). Buy a single issue or subscribe here.

These Cool Cocktail Bars in Sri Lanka Celebrate Traditional Toddy

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