What is rakija? It's a brandy. The Kumova rakija we sell is lozova rakija, which means grape brandy. Some bottles are crystal clear and taste of fresh grape and white peach. Others spend time in oak and turn golden, with dried apricot, honey and quince. Serve the clear ones cold and the aged ones a little warmer, around 16 to 18°C. Have something to eat alongside. If you're new to it, start with Kumova Bela. When you want something to sip slowly, reach for Kumova Reserve.
The rest of this guide covers the details. Read as much as you like.
What rakija is
Rakija is a family of fruit brandies from the Balkans. It's made from fermented fruit. Plums are the most common base, and grapes, apples and pears are all used too.
This guide sticks to grape rakija, because that's what we pour. Grapes go in and a spirit comes out. What happens next decides the style. The spirit either goes into the bottle as it is, or it spends time in oak first.
Rakija vs raki
The two names look close, and they get mixed up on menus. Rakija is a fruit brandy. Raki, the Turkish spirit, is mostly anise-based and tastes closer to Greek ouzo or Italian sambuca. This page is about rakija.
How it's made
Each Kumova bottle shows a different way of making rakija.
Unaged. Kumova Traditional is made only from Smederevka grapes. It rests in stainless steel and never sees oak. That's why it stays crystal clear and tastes of the fruit.
Column and old oak. Kumova Žolta is distilled in a copper column and then aged in old oak. The oak gives it a pale amber colour and softer, rounder flavours.
Longer in oak. Kumova Reserve is mainly Smederevka. It spends about four years in a mix of old and new oak. This is the most golden bottle in the range, and the one built for sipping.
Kumova Bela is made from Smederevka and Muscat Hamburg grapes. The Muscat Hamburg gives it its floral side.
If the name Smederevka sounds familiar, it's the same grape as our Smederevka white wine.
Types of rakija
An easy way to sort rakija is clear or aged.
Clear rakija is bright and fresh. It's best served cold. In our range, that's Bela and Traditional.
Aged rakija has spent time in oak. It picks up colour, along with flavours like vanilla, honey and dried fruit. You serve it a little warmer and sip it more slowly. In our range, that's Žolta and Reserve.
The Kumova range, from first bottle to sipping bottle
Here are the four bottles, from easiest to deepest.
Kumova Bela. Crystal clear, with fresh grape, white peach and Muscat florals. It's gentle and aromatic, so it makes a good first bottle. Serve it well chilled, at 6 to 10°C.
Kumova Traditional. Also crystal clear, with fresh grape, green apple and almond. It's simpler and more direct than Bela. This is rakija with nothing added by wood. Drink it neat, or chilled to 6 to 8°C. Ice is fine.
Kumova Žolta. Pale amber, with dried apricot, honeyed citrus, vanilla, almond and nougat. It sits between fresh and aged, and it's the easiest way into oaked rakija. Serve it at 16 to 18°C, or cooler at 12 to 14°C as an aperitif.
Kumova Reserve. Golden, with dried apricot, quince, caramelised apple, honey and a note of tobacco leaf. This is the slow one, for after dinner. Drink it neat, at 16 to 18°C.
You'll find all four in our spirits collection, alongside LYXA VSOP.
How to drink rakija
Keep it simple. Use a small glass and pour a small measure. Sip it rather than knocking it back. You'll taste far more that way.
Temperature matters most. Clear rakija tastes clean and lively when it's cold, so keep Bela and Traditional in the fridge. Aged rakija opens up when it's only lightly cool. Pour Žolta and Reserve at around 16 to 18°C, which is a little below most room temperatures.
Žolta can play two roles. Serve it cooler before a meal and it works as an aperitif. Serve it a touch warmer afterwards and it slows right down.
Traditional is the only one we'd happily put over ice.
What to eat with rakija
Rakija is at its best with food on the table. Each bottle has its own matches.
With Bela: white sheep's cheese, Shopska salad, grilled fish and calamari. Think fresh, salty and a little smoky from the grill.
With Traditional: cured meats, pickles, sauerkraut, sheep's cheese and olives. Sharp, salty food stands up well to a clean, unaged spirit.
With Žolta: kashkaval, ajvar, pindjur, cured meats, figs and walnuts. It suits a shared board, with something sweet and something savoury.
With Reserve: kashkaval, roast lamb or veal, cured meats and dark chocolate. Keep it for the end of a long meal.
Why we stock Kumova
We wanted a range that shows rakija from clear and fresh to golden and slow. You can start with one bottle and move along it, and taste how the making and the oak change the spirit.
A bottle of Kumova also makes an easy present.
Where Kumova comes from
Kumova is made by Tikveš Winery, founded in 1885. It's the same name behind the wines in our Macedonian wine collection.