Bulgaria Ski discussion board

I love rakia. My favorite is 63, though the home made stuff from the village men is really the best.
Rakia, for the uninitiated, is actually brandy made from grapes, though often made with apricots, plums, etc. It is similar, in fact, to Italian grappa. Bulgarian Vintners in California imports Rakia and calls it grappa in order to market it. The difference is probably in how the drink is aged, Rakia being aged for shorter periods of time than brandy. From what I understand, the distillation of Rakia uses the entire fermented fruit in addition to the juice. Also, most Rakias are relatively clear when compared to brandies, which are aged for years. Rakia can be clear like vodka to slightly yellow. They should be aged in cherry casks, though many makers will use whatever is available. I've had some great Rakias, and I've had some nasty ones made by people who didn't make any effort to separate out the methyl alcohols. Trust me, that stuff will cause the mother of all hangovers. That being said, it doesn't take long to develop a taste for it, nay, even a nostalgic pang of thirst.