​​​​​When you want to hang out with your girlfriends, a rakı night is amongst the first few choices. It may be a night where you dance at a new generation meyhane or sitting down and chatting while nostalgic Turkish songs play in the background. Let's admit, a rakı night with girls brings you joy like no other. A girls' rakı night is an occasion where you can pour your heart out, ask for advice, catch up with your friends an find out how they're feeling these days. So what do you say to hosting the rakı night at your place this time?

"G​irls, this weekend's rakı is at my place!"​

Girls think about it: We'll put together our own rakı table with only our favorite mezzes. We will dance to our favorite tunes and we won't have to stop the fun because it's getting late." We don't think anyone would say no to this offer. Some of your friends might want to come a little earlier to help you prepare for the night.

What About The Fo​od?

Tonight is all about girl talk and having fun. Preparing mezzes that will accompany your conversation and rakı, is easier than you think. Even if you're not a fan of cooking click here for mezzes that do not need to go in the oven. You can also make tabbouleh to add a green scene and freshness to your table. Thanks to bulgur, your salad will be quite fulfilling, so you won't have to prepare a main course. 

Tabbouleh Recipe

Ingredients:

• One cup of fine bulgur

• Five firm-ripe tomatoes

• A large handful of flat-leaf parsley, with tough stalks, removed

• A large handful of mint springs leaves only

• Three spring onions thinly sliced

• A quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• Half a teaspoon of ground allspice

• Juice of one lemon

• 150ml extra virgin olive oil

• Four gem lettuces washed and quartered

• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Cook bulgur by pouring into a bowl and just covering in boiling water. Cover the bowl for twenty minutes and then stir once uncovered, fluffing up with a fork as you go.

Whilst the bulgur is cooking hold the herbs in a tight bunch and slice them into crisp thin strips. Cut the tomatoes into pea-sized dice and drain any excess juice. 

Mix through with herbs, spring onions, bulgur, add cinnamon, allspice and season.

Drizzle lemon juice and use gem lettuce to serve, letting people scoop the tabbouleh.

Additionally, if you have a day or two before the big night, you can marinate dry tomatoes in olive oil and herbs to serve on your rakı table. Watch this video​ to learn how to do it quickly.

Choosing the Rakı of the Night

The rakı choice is very linked to the type of mezzes and foods you're having. Of course, if you or your friends have favorites order those anyway, but its a fact that some types of rakı go better with grilled meats, some go better with seafood. For example, Yeni Rakı Yeni Seri's smooth taste goes better with herbal mezzes. Yeni Rakı Ala, which is made from dried grapes, distilled three times and matured in oak barrels, suits spicy mezzes and red meats. The types of rakı are not limited to these two; have a look at our portfolio. Bear in mind that rakı bottles come in different sizes, so you can make a few choices, rather than one. Ask your friends, decide and then click here​ to locate the nearest store or online shop to buy Yeni Rakı. Maybe one of your friends might say "You handle the mezzes, I'm bringing the rakı."

Now You're Ready for the Night

Tonight, you will have delicious mezzes, rakı and your girlfriends who feel like they can share everything with each other. You might've seen them two days ago for a coffee date or maybe you talked over the phone for two hours the other nights.however, none of these can hold the place of a rakı night that starts with mezze and ends with desserts. The conversation on a girls' rakı table never ends and nobody realizes how quickly the time passes. 

Rakı: Bought. Food: Ready. Music:? Your mind may be split between "we might want to dance tonight" and "we need background music". That's why our special Spotify​ playlist will be a saviour,  bringing you the best tunes to suit both of your needs. Now all is set. Pour rakı to your glasses and get ready to unrush. 

Share, savour and enjoy!​

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