Bars & craft beer · 20 of the best in Sofia
Rakia: Bulgaria’s spirit
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Popo le Chien · CC0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Rakia: Bulgaria’s spirit
Rakia is the national drink of Bulgaria, a strong fruit brandy made from grapes, plums, apricots and other fruit, often at home in village stills. It is sipped slowly, usually at the start of a meal with a shopska salad.
What rakia is
Rakia is distilled from fermented fruit: grozdova from grapes, slivova from plums and kaysieva from apricots are the most common, typically around 40% alcohol or more.
How to drink it
Bulgarians sip rakia slowly as an aperitif, with a shopska salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and grated white cheese. Say “Nazdrave!”, look your companions in the eye, and do not rush.
In Bulgaria, rakia is sipped with a salad, not knocked back.
Home-made and craft
Many families still make their own rakia in the autumn, and a new generation of craft distillers produces aged and fruit rakias of real finesse.
Our advice: try a grape and a plum rakia side by side with a shopska salad in a mehana, or visit a rakia bar or the Rakia Museum for a guided tasting. Drink water too.
Why it's on our list
- What rakia is
- How to drink it
- Home-made and craft
- Where to taste
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Rakia: Bulgaria’s spirit before you go.