Blog
Learn rakija
Our aim is not only to sell rakija but to change how people drink it: how it is made, matured and served, and how to recognise a good one.
27 articles
Tasting5 min read
How to drink rakija: temperature, glasses and tastingMost of us drink rakija ice-cold and in one go. A good fruit rakija deserves better: the right temperature, the right glass, a third of a glass and a minute of attention.
From our distillery4 min read
The golden standard of Akademska rakijaWhat we mean by the golden standard: rakija enjoyed slowly, the way the French drink cognac. Our premium packaging, and what two companies said after giving it as a gift.
Rakija in tradition3 min read
Rakija in folk medicineRakija as a remedy is passed down from generation to generation. Folk beliefs and old household practices, as our grandparents told them.
Tasting3 min read
The power of taste in rakijaAfter the nose comes the most important part of tasting: the palate. The first and second sip, and the eight families of aromas that develop in šljivovica.
Making rakija3 min read
How the strength of rakija is measuredWithout instruments, making good rakija would be groping in the dark. The measuring cylinder, the alcoholmeter and the Oechsle must-meter, and how to read and correct them.
Tasting3 min read
Glasses for rakijaMany of our customers ask why our gift set holds this particular glass. The answer, with a short tour of wine, champagne and beer glasses, and of the old čokanj.
Making rakija2 min read
The copper kazan for rakijaThe copper still is the heart of every distillation, and the quality of the copper shapes the spirit. A short history of the coppersmith’s craft, and the five parts of a kazan.
Making rakija2 min read
Alcoholic fermentation of fruit mashFermentation is where alcohol is born: what yeasts do in the mash, what you can see happening, which unwanted processes to watch for and why fermentation stops.
Maturing6 min read
How rakija maturesFresh distillate is sharp and restless; maturing makes it rakija. Barrels, time, egalisation, temperature and humidity, and the physical and chemical changes in the cask, including the angels’ share.
Tasting2 min read
The most common faults in rakija, and how to fix themCloudy, sour, burnt, bitter, stone-tasting or acrolein-spoiled rakija: where each fault comes from and what can be done about it.
Rakija in tradition3 min read
Rakija and health: truth or myth?It is often said that a glass of rakija on waking or before bed is good for you. What tradition and some studies are said to claim, in our article from 2021.
Tasting2 min read
Sensory evaluation of spiritsColour, clarity, typicity, aroma and taste: the basics of how judges score rakija, and how points turn into medals in Serbia.
Maturing2 min read
Barrels for storing spiritsWhy rakija and wine rest in wood, how barrels are made and dried, what a barrique is, and what Serbian oak adds to a spirit.
From our distillery3 min read
Why Akademska rakija has gold in itHow the friends behind Akademska rakija came to put 23-carat gold in their premium line, what edible gold is, and how to treat a rakija like this.
Kinds of rakija3 min read
Klekovača, the first of the special rakijasJuniper berries flavour spirits all over the world, from borovička to gin. How klekovača is made in Serbia, from picking the berries to maceration and distillation.
Kinds of rakija3 min read
Fruit rakija, fruit wine or liqueur: how to tell them apartNot every red “rakija” is raspberry rakija. What separates a fruit rakija from a fruit wine and a liqueur, and how to read the label so you know what you are drinking.
Kinds of rakija3 min read
Honey rakija: medovačaMedovina, medica or medovača? What honey rakija really is, and how it is made: dissolving the honey, a months-long fermentation, two distillations and at least two years in oak.
Making rakija3 min read
A short history of strong spiritsFrom the stills of ancient Egypt and the koumiss of the Mongol nomads to the copper kazan: how distillation reached the Balkans, and why we put gold in our rakija.
Maturing3 min read
Vessels for maturing spirits: why oakSpirits can be kept in concrete, steel, plastic or wood, but to improve with time they go into oak. Sessile oak, pedunculate oak and American white oak compared.
Kinds of rakija4 min read
Stone-fruit rakija: plum, apricot, peach and sour cherryŠljivovica, kajsijevača, breskovača and višnjevača: how each is defined, and the fruit behind them.
Kinds of rakija3 min read
Rakija from other natural raw materials: elderberry and mulberryTwo lesser-known rakijas, from elderberry and from mulberry: the fruit, the fermentation, the distillation and how they are served.
Kinds of rakija2 min read
Rakija from tropical, citrus and exotic fruitCan rakija be made from tropical fruit? What to watch for, which fruit works, how these spirits are kept and served, and how the Akademska pineapple came about.
Kinds of rakija3 min read
Grape spirits you may not know are rakijaVinjak, cognac, armagnac and Metaxa: the best-known spirits made from grapes, how they are made, and what Serbian rakija can learn from them.
Kinds of rakija2 min read
Apricot rakija: kajsijevačaApricot rakija is among the most delicate of all: what it takes to make it well, from the harvest and the stones to distillation, and the Akademska apricot.
Kinds of rakija3 min read
Quince rakija: dunjevačaHow quince rakija is made, step by step, from ripening on the tree to the oak cask, and the quince rakijas of Akademska rakija.
Kinds of rakija2 min read
Plum rakija: šljivovica, the queen of rakijasWhy šljivovica is called the queen of rakijas and one of Serbia’s best-known brands, how it is made, and the two plum rakijas of Akademska rakija.
Making rakija2 min read
How rakija came to beFrom the distillers of ancient Egypt to the Serbian kazan: a short history of rakija, and how two university friends turned their love of it into Akademska rakija.
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