Apple Brandy With a Lot of Spirit

Almost every drink has a background. When it was discovered, how it’s made, the way it’s kept, or some other special feature. But, some have a story so special it affects the taste of the drink.

It is an unwritten rule that every monastery in Europe has its own vineyard or a small farm, and every single one of them produces perfect liquors. The downside is that most of them produce drinks only for an in-house use, not for sale. But, monasteries with bigger capacities do produce some for sale as well. One of these monasteries in Serbia makes an apple brandy worthy for the God. I’m talking about Kovilj and their brand “Arkanj”.

Monastery itself is over 700 years old, and it has a great tradition of fine distilled liquors. Monks from it produce few kinds of brandy, varying from light, sweet liquors, to strong brandy with character. Cellars of the monastery are well hidden from the light, filled with moist air and oak barrels. These conditions are perfect for maturing of one high-quality drink.

“Arkanj” is made a bit different from other brandies. Instead of just crushing the fruit and then distilling it, monks here first squeeze all the juice from an apple to make a cider out of it. Afterward, this sweet cider is distilled and turned into a brandy. Each drop of this elixir is kept for at least three years in the cellar. The combination of sweet cider, long boiling process and the smoky flavor of the oak tree, give a perfect balance to both color and aroma of this brandy. A smooth taste goes through your mouth, only to be turned into a long-lasting pleasure on the pallet. It’s best served a bit chilled, with a bowl of something salty. The contrast of tastes depicts them both vividly.

A definite choice for people with good brandy taste. Thanks to the internet, you can buy most of these brandies in the UK as well.