Klekovac (Serb. “juniper”) is a subspecies of rakia, a distillate of fermented plums with juniper berries, which can hardly be called a Balkan gin. Serbian peasants came up with the idea of adding juniper to plum moonshine to drown out an unpleasant smell and / or taste (15-20 berries per liter, less does not help, if more it is bitter).
The strength of klekovacs is from 40%, in the bouquet you can feel the tones of nuts and citruses. The taste is tart with woody notes, much “fuller” and richer than the classic gin.
Technology of preparation
For Serbian klekovacs, the best ripe fruits are selected, fermented, and the finished mash is distilled two or three times, cutting off the “heads” and “tails”. The finished distillate is aged in oak barrels for at least a year. Juniper can be added at any stage, from fermentation of raw materials to aging, there is no single recipe.
In industrial production, berries are added to ready-made slivovitz. After 40 days of maceration (infusion) in the sun, the juniper is harvested, and the finished drink is bottled and sent for sale.
Klekovaca is not a simple brandy, but “overbaked”, that is, it has undergone at least double distillation. The fact is that in Russia moonshine is brewed, and in the Balkan countries it is baked, so on a bottle of juniper brandy you can often see the Serbian word “perepechnitsa”.
How to drink klekovacha
Klekovacha is drunk from small glasses with a volume of 30-50 ml, not in one gulp, but savoring the nuances of taste. Before serving, the drink is slightly cooled, but in winter, on the contrary, they can warm it up and add spices to it, like in mulled wine.
Klekovac is eaten with a standard Balkan set – a cheese and meat plate, fresh vegetable salad, pickles.
Cocktails with junipers
Klekoni. Serbian version of Negroni. In 2016, this cocktail received a gold medal at a competition in Milan. The traditional version of the Negroni mixes equal parts gin, Campari and red vermouth, but the Cleconi uses clecovaca instead of gin.
Gin can be substituted for gin in the same way in any recipe: gin and tonic, Long Island Ice Tea, Tom Collins, Clover Club, etc.
Famous brands
BB Klekovača. Produced since 1905, recognizable yellow bottles with a red cap quickly gained popularity in Yugoslavia, Paris, London.
Navip. One of the oldest Serbian wineries, founded in 1848.
Stara Pesma (“Old Song”). The name is dictated by the Serbian legend about how Klekovac appeared. It is believed in the Balkans that the most delicious and fragrant juniper grows in the vicinity of Mount Tara, and several hundred years ago people already knew this. They lived simply and honestly: they worked hard, sincerely enjoyed every day, often “baked” brandy, drank it and sang. So, to the sounds of an old song, Serbian plum moonshine with juniper was born.