About Us

The story of Lamassu Arak begins decades ago when co-founder Nahrain Kamber immigrated from the Middle East to the US in the 1980s. She was raised in the American Midwest. She grew her career as a Ph.D. chemist over the last 15 years as an industrial researcher. Her career mixed with her appreciation of fine wines, spirits, and food from around the world, helped to form the early iterations of Lamassu Arak. Historically unfamiliar to the US market, arak – a spirit with anise-  has been familiar to the Middle East and the Mediterranean for centuries. Inspired by traditional family recipes and techniques from Nahrain’s ancestors in Northern Iraq, Lamassu Arak harmoniously balances the familiarity and the traditions of Middle Eastern arak in a refreshed, American craft-style offering.

In partnership with Two Eagles Distillery in Illinois, Lamassu Arak was created as America’s first premium craft Arak. In ancient Mesopotamia, cities were guarded by protective spirits known as Lamassu. As a symbol of Nahrain’s Assyrian heritage, the Lamassu name was proudly chosen to represent the brand. A portion of each bottle of Lamassu Arak supports organizations and efforts that protect and preserve Assyrian identity, language, arts, and culture.

Since 2015