Its Majesty - Rakija

We present rakija (homemade brandy), the most popular drink in Serbia that speaks more than a thousand languages

Sunday 10th of September 2017

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A traditional Serbian drink is an indispensable part of a rich culture and customs, a favorite domestic product due to which many tenants of the planet come to Serbia to try and to be convinced of the miracle called rakija. In an eternal romance with national specialties, it creates unforgettable moments, valuable memories and recollections. Simply, you do not count on visiting Serbia if you have not toasted with homemade brandy (rakija), plum brandy, especially.


When the question is when is best to drink brandy, the answer is - always. According to the old custom, immediately after waking up, people first take sweet or honey, then drink homemade coffee and brandy. The unavoidable host of every celebration and family gathering is to be found at every business meeting, even at the highest state level. The old customs require that every guest who comes into the house, with gibanica (homemade cheese pie), dried meat, ajvar (a pepper-based condiment), cheese and other domestic products, should use brandy. Every house and every household has homemade brandy, because without it, the house is not home. Furthermore, every host praises his own brandy (rakija), which he has made himself, and thinks it is the best in the world.

Brandy is a strong alcoholic drink made of fruit. Especially in Serbia, it is often made of various fruit products such as apricot, pear, apple, quince, raspberry and cherry. However, the queen of taste among all the brandy is plum brandy. It is made mostly of the plum Lat. Prunus domestica, Prunus insititia or Prunus spinosa, and it is kept in special barrels made of wood of oak, mulberry or black locust (false acacia), which give it a special aroma. Worshiped throughout the country and the region, rakija is popular both in the village and the city, among all layers of the population. Every bar and restaurant offer several types of brandy, but the plum is obligatory. The best restaurants in Belgrade have premium plum brandies, produced by the highest quality domestic producers, often only for them, hence the price is very high. But, when you try it, the price becomes completely justified. Sljivovica (plum brandy) is for Serbia the same as rum for the Caribbean, wine for France, whiskey for Scotland and vodka for Russia. In recent years, cocktails with brandy have been very popular in Belgrade.


By strength, there are two types of brandy - soft and strong (prepecenica). The first is obtained by a single distillation and contains about 25% alcohol, people drink it mostly from larger glasses, such as those for whiskey. Strong brandy goes through a double distillation process, contains 40% alcohol and people drink it from cokanj (1/8 liter glass bottle or 0,3 dcl glass bottle) because it is very strong. To know how good brandy is, take the bottle in your hand and shake it. If you make a "wreath" that is rich and sturdy, you have the opportunity and pleasure to consume a very good brandy.


The phrase "Rakia - connecting people" has completely settled down and 100% is true. People smile, meet, are happy, cry, greet and send off. It is always an excellent excuse for serious conversations and relaxing chats. It can often be heard well known phrase "let's have another one and go" and it is a timeline, in a way. Experienced connoisseurs will always emphasize that good brandy has to "slip" through the throat and heat the stomach, and add that it can be drunk as milk. Well established Serbian customs say that brandy (rakija) prolongs the life span, relieves stress, improves health and does not fatten.

Tip: Never mix different fruits brandy. If you choose to drink plum, drink it until the end, do not take apricot brandy or any other after two or three glasses. According to customs, it is something that shouldn't be done. Cheers!