Medovaca

Ingredients

Base

• 1 litrerakija — plum or grape, 40%
• 300 ghoney
• 100 mlwater

Optional

• 1cinnamon stick
• 4cloves
• a strip of lemon peel
• a few walnut halves

Directions

1. Warm the water gently with the spices and lemon peel, if using, and infuse for ten minutes off the heat.
2. Stir in the honey until it dissolves completely. Do not let it boil — boiling honey destroys its aroma and leaves nothing but sweetness.
3. Cool the honey syrup to about 40°C (104°F).
4. Now take the pan well away from the hob and pour the rakija into the syrup, stirring as you go. Never add spirit to a pan over a flame: at 40% it is genuinely flammable, and this is a step to do off the heat and away from any burner.
5. Adding the spirit to the syrup rather than the other way round also keeps the mixture from clouding.
6. Bottle while still warm, seal, and leave somewhere dark for at least two weeks. It clarifies and mellows considerably as it rests.
7. Serve warmed gently in winter, or at room temperature in small glasses.
8. It keeps indefinitely and improves for months.

Technique

• Off the heat before the spirit goes anywhere near the pan.
• Do not boil the honey. It is most of the flavour.
• Different honeys make very different medovača — buckwheat gives a dark strong one, acacia a delicate one.

Substitutions

• Any fruit rakija — plum, grape, quince or apricot.
• Brandy or vodka in place of rakija.
• More or less honey to taste; 300 g per litre is a middling sweetness.

Variations

• The Lithuanian krupnikas and Polish krupnik are the same idea with more spices.
• Warmed with a slice of lemon as a cold remedy, which is half of why it is made.

History

Serbian home distillers stir honey into fresh rakija; it doubles as a folk remedy for colds.

Frequently asked questions

What is Medovaca?

Medovaca is a wine & spirit from Serbia: plum or grape rakija sweetened with honey, drunk warm in winter. Serbian home distillers stir honey into fresh rakija; it doubles as a folk remedy for colds.

How long does Medovaca take to make?

Medovaca takes 15 min plus 2 weeks resting of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 1 litre. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Medovaca?

Yes, within limits. Any fruit rakija — plum, grape, quince or apricot. Brandy or vodka in place of rakija. More or less honey to taste; 300 g per litre is a middling sweetness.

What is the most important thing to get right in Medovaca?

Stir in the honey until it dissolves completely. Do not let it boil — boiling honey destroys its aroma and leaves nothing but sweetness.