What does “golden standard” even mean when we talk about Akademska rakija? It is a little awkward to praise our own products; we usually let the quality, and our clients, speak for them. You will think we are biased, and, to be honest, we are.
But not because we want to sell you our rakija. Our aim from the very beginning has been to teach you how to recognise good rakija, how to serve it and how to drink it.
Knocking it back? No!
Drinking a glass of rakija is no science, but many people think the tradition is to pour cold rakija into a small čokanj and knock it back as fast as possible, and for us that is a big NO. Many famous drinks have their own way of being drunk: you do not drink whisky the way you drink a glass of orange juice, and the same goes for rakija, wine and brandy. In short: pour rakija into a larger glass, let it breathe a little, then sip it slowly.
Our, Serbian, problem is that we have not yet managed to take a brand as big as Serbian rakija to the world. We have created a negative myth that drinking rakija goes with aggression, which in our opinion is pure nonsense.
The early days
When rakija-making began in these parts, people threw in whatever fruit they found, did not check whether it was sound, and did not redistil. The spirit was extremely strong and tasted bad, so the bottles went into the cold to hide the unpleasant taste and smell left by poor fruit, fermentation and distillation; and with no taste or aroma to stop them, people poured one after another, and lost control.
That is the myth we want to break: rakija can be enjoyed like any other spirit. We still hold that a whisky made from grain cannot be better than a rakija made from the finest fruit. That is exactly what our golden line is.
We set a golden standard because we want to be different from the rest: to be better. Our rakija is not what people in the Balkans call “špiritus”. Akademska rakija with gold is exactly what it sounds like: something more beautiful, something more elegant. The golden standard is our way of changing bad opinions about rakija, and of teaching you something new.
Our gifts
Deciding what to give someone is always a dilemma: is it right for them, is it enough, will they love it? Our standard rakijas are made from quince, plum, apricot and pineapple, and our premium rakijas from quince, plum and apricot with flakes of edible 23-carat gold. The premium rakijas come in two kinds of packaging:
- a branded wooden box, which we can engrave as you wish, holding the golden rakija of your choice;
- the luxury set: two branded rakija glasses, a decorative stopper, the golden rakija of your choice and a dedication handwritten in gold.
Another gift for someone dear is our flask, covered in suede leather and delivered filled with the rakija of your choice.
Where to taste and buy it
Over the years we have taken care to choose the bars, restaurants and shops that represent us. The places where you can taste and buy Akademska rakija today are listed, city by city, on our Where to buy page: visit them, try it and judge for yourself, rather than take our word for it.
What our clients said
Two clients who gave Akademska rakija with gold to their staff and clients for the New Year and Christmas holidays:
Offset Print, Jovan Pervaz: “Akademska rakija is something new on the spirits market. Their plum rakija with gold thrilled me from the first sip, and I did not hesitate for a moment to give it to our staff and clients for the holidays. No wonder they call it the golden standard!” Offset Print is a family printing company founded in 1990, specialising in cardboard packaging and paper labels.
VM Digital, Vladimir Milić: “As a fan of good rakija, I was introduced to Akademska rakija by an acquaintance and fell for their Zlatna dunja at once. The taste, the texture and the packaging thrilled me, and I immediately decided to give it as a holiday gift to my staff and family. With unique engraving on offer, Akademska rakija and the guys behind it are the golden standard in the world of rakija!”
Now you know where to find us; the rest is up to you. And while we wait to hear from you, we will pour ourselves one, just to check our golden standard once more. Živeli!
