🥃 Dunjevača

Dunjevača is a Balkan quince brandy: a clear, colourless distillate of fermented ripe fruit. It is made in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, both at home and in distilleries. On the EU market such a drink belongs to category 9, “fruit spirit”, with a strength of at least 37.5% ABV.

Raw material. Quince (Cydonia oblonga) is harvested at technical ripeness and left to ripen, since the aroma depends on ripeness. The fruit is crushed, fermented and the mash is distilled, most often in copper pot stills. Some producers distil twice and keep only the middle fraction to preserve the smell of ripe quince.

Popularity. According to Serbia’s Ministry of Agriculture, 24.3 million litres of fruit brandy were produced in the country in 2024. About 65% of it is plum brandy, followed by pear, quince, grape and apricot brandies. The international food guide TasteAtlas ranked dunjevača seventh among the world’s strong drinks.

EU rules. A fruit spirit may not be flavoured or strengthened with added alcohol. For quince, Regulation 2019/787 allows up to 1350 g of methanol per hectolitre of pure alcohol, more than for plums, because quince skins contain a lot of pectin. Hungary has protected quince palinkas from Madaras and Nagykunság as EU names.

Why this matters to you. Dunjevača smells of ripe quince, honey and flowers; it is often served as an aperitif. Home-made brandy is not tested, so its methanol content and strength are unknown. WHO reminds that there is no safe amount of alcohol.