🥃 Loveshka slivova rakya

Loveshka slivova rakya is a Bulgarian fruit distillate with a name protected in the EU, from Lovech municipality in northern Bulgaria. It is made only from Stanley and Burya plums without stones, distilled in a K5 column still to 55–60% vol. and aged at least two years in oak; strength is from 38% vol.

The orchards lie in the villages of Kakrina and Hlevene, where the Danube Plain rises into the Fore-Balkan: Kakrina at 460–540 m, Hlevene at 350–450 m. About 1,338 decares, roughly 134 ha, are planted with plums. Mean annual temperature is 11.4 °C, rainfall 636 mm, and the soils are grey and dark-grey forest soils. The Vit, Osam and Vidima rivers cross the area.

The fruit is crushed and destoned, so there is less than 0.1 g/hl of hydrocyanic acid. The mash ferments in 50 m³ tanks with selected yeast at 20–30 °C until less than 6 g/l of sugar remains, and goes straight to distillation. The K5 still, a Bulgarian design, has a column of 13 plates and two dephlegmators. To make 1,000 litres of rakia at 38% vol. you need 652 litres of distillate at 60% vol.

The rakia matures in old barrels of up to 500 litres made of Bulgarian oak aged over 60 years; cellars are kept at 18–22 °C in summer and at least 5 °C in winter. The name of origin was registered in Bulgaria on 27 March 1986; EU protection has applied since 21 June 2005. The spirit may also be bottled outside the zone.

Why this matters to you. The name on the label means plums from only two villages of the Lovech municipality, Stanley and Burya in equal parts, and at least two years in oak, which is less than the Troyan version. The colour ranges from straw to deep gold. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.