Clear plum brandy distilled at home and offered to every guest. Kosovar households run small stills after the autumn plum harvest and age the spirit in glass demijohns until it is wanted.
Unlicensed distilling is a criminal offence, and the cut that separates drinkable spirit from methanol-bearing heads is the step people get wrong when they learn it by trial.
What goes into it
- ripe plums
- nothing else
How it is made
Crushed ripe plums ferment on their own sugars in a covered barrel for two to four weeks, then the mash is distilled in a copper pot still, usually twice. The distiller discards the volatile head and the weak tail and keeps the middle, and the spirit then rests in glass for months or years.
How long it takes: weeks to ferment, then months to years resting
How it is eaten
In small glasses before a meal, at weddings and at funerals.
History
Kosovar households run small stills after the autumn plum harvest, ageing the spirit in glass demijohns.
Frequently asked questions
What is Raki kumbulle?
Raki kumbulle is a wine & spirit from Kosovo: clear plum brandy distilled at home, offered to every guest. Kosovar households run small stills after the autumn plum harvest, ageing the spirit in glass demijohns.
How is Raki kumbulle made?
Crushed ripe plums ferment on their own sugars in a covered barrel for two to four weeks, then the mash is distilled in a copper pot still, usually twice. The distiller discards the volatile head and the weak tail and keeps the middle, and the spirit then rests in glass for months or years. It takes weeks to ferment, then months to years resting.
Can I make Raki kumbulle at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Unlicensed distilling is a criminal offence, and the cut that separates drinkable spirit from methanol-bearing heads is the step people get wrong when they learn it by trial.
What goes into Raki kumbulle?
Ripe plums, nothing else.
How is Raki kumbulle eaten?
In small glasses before a meal, at weddings and at funerals.
