Rakija is another great Slavonian story that until recently could be said to be waiting to be told. That is no longer the case! It is now also hardcover, but that does not mean that it has been written into the canons, but that it has only just begun to develop as it should. Brandy serves as a welcome, brandy is medicine, brandy is drunk before meals, books are written about brandy, brandy has its own festival... At this historical moment, we are living witnesses of the brandy renaissance.
After a handful of books about wines, and a book about kulen, he is a multiple award-winning (for example, in the category for the best world book about European wines, outside of France at the Gourmand Drins Awards 2020) publicist. Željko Garmaz recently published his latest book entitled "Goodbye to the clutter - the new beginning of Slavonian brandy", and its first public promotion was held on Wednesday, October 16, in the Osijek gastropub Bulart 1887, in the old Osijek city center Tvrđa.
In almost 200 pages, Željko presented 18 intriguing ones to the public distillery stories, where, according to well-established custom, he goes to the very heart of the story, conjuring up what motivates the people behind their distilleries in their work, while at the same time drawing out their most important biographical features. That is why Željko's texts are at the same time long and drinkable.
As Garmaz repeatedly emphasized, the main "culprit" for the creation of this book is Dinko Romić – One brandy. I was pleasantly surprised that we were offered exactly One at the Tinel Trattoria restaurant in Split, namely their barrique plum obtained by double distillation of the Čačany native and Valpovka.
Great brandy only from Valpovka plums I will taste the Stanić family from Valpovo a few days later, after returning to my domicile. But let us return to the One; in addition to plums aged in barrique barrels, they also have apricots, vines, apples, and apples with cinnamon. There are also brandies made from quince, William's wine, pear, sour cherry, as well as herbal tea based on wine distillate in which about fifty herbs from the slopes of Velebit and the pastures of Pag have been macerated. They also produce several liqueurs; for example, with hawthorn and honey or sour cherry and cabernet sauvignon, and there is also Little Gipsy Gin in the classic and rosé variants created by distilling gypsy sour cherries.
Of course, Jedna (along with others) was also tasted at the promotion of the book "Goodbye to the Bunches", and then the distillery presentation cycle was also announced. The first event takes place on Wednesday, October 30, when Jedna i will join forces masterchef Goran Kocis, the only Slavonian chef who received a Michelin star twice in a row during his involvement in Zagreb's Noel. The guests will taste a dozen Jedni, and will be welcomed by a cocktail based on Little Gipsy Gin.
One is ubiquitous! After the promotion of the hard-bound distillery stories and the barricaded blend of Valpovka and Čačan Rodna, which I enjoyed before dinner in the Split trattoria Tinel Jedna, it was also the "official drink" of the filming of one episode of David Skoka's new travelogue-gastronomy TV series, which will be broadcast on state television in spring next year. The motor was replaced by the fisherman's son vintage food truck and again set off on a journey across Croatia with motto "Eating on the road".
His host on the field was the chef of the football team and the restaurant of the Josić winery Tomica Djukic. Together they toured the grounds, collected ingredients from local family farms such as Slavonic evil or Slavoniclo - both bearers of the "Rural Quality" mark and then prepared intriguing and delicious street food on a food truck "anchored" on the left bank of the Osijek Promenade.
The welcome to the recording was Jedna, and Jedna is just one of the successful Slavonian distillery stories. By all accounts, Željko Garmaz will soon have to think about writing a sequel to "Goodbye to Brlja" because there are more great distilleries that were not included in this book. Let's just mention, for example, premium brandy Divania which was a major hit off the record program of the gastro workshop held at Marko Horvat's in Duboševica.
From a once despised drink, identified with its technically deficient performance - brlja, brandy is slowly but surely gaining its well-deserved halo premium drinks. After profiling the wine scene that began at the beginning of the millennium, and then the beer scene that began in 2013. craft beers with the revolution, it is finally time for the establishment of the rakija scene, which includes a handful of smaller family distilleries that will strive for the top quality of their products and constant innovation. In order for a scene to exist and develop, real events are necessary where visitors will be able to get an insight into a cross-section of the scene in one place. It is definitely the most serious Croatian festival dedicated to brandies ZGrappa which took place last year for the first time in mid-October, and this year it is being held on November 15 and 16 in Zagreb's Fifth Coupe.
