Tag Archives: vinjak

Vinjak – A Different Kind of Drink

If you ever visit or meet someone from the ex-Yugoslavia, and ask about Vinjak, you’ll get a straight answer that this is something more than just a drink. It’s a spirit with a tradition and long history of consummation in this region. The story behind, it’s also quite interesting. If you looking to buy something similar to konjac, but with a brandy-like aroma in the UK, this is the drink for you.

When it was first introduced, this drink was served only on the king’s court and his ships. Its makers produced it from a grape brandy with a bit of twist and a stronger distillate. After the World War II was through, the company Rubin has been funded, and the mass production of this liquor has begun. The original recipe was a mixture of French konjac and traditional slivovitz. This combination brought something new for all liquor lovers.

Today Vinjak is still one of the favorite brands among the people at Balkans. It comes in three versions – standard, 5 years old and 10 years old, or as it’s called XO Vinjak. Each kind has a caramel aroma with a strong vanilla aftertaste. Don’t be fooled, even though the taste/aroma components are sweet to the pallet, this drink is very strong. Thanks to this caramelized twist it flows smooth both through throat and stomach. It’s served as aperitif mostly. The difference between these three is in their color and the richness of taste. Each of them is maturing in an oak barrel, so that’s why they all have that amber shade.

Vinjak is really something different when it comes to strong liquors. Each drink can be defined in or placed in a certain category, but with Vinjak this is not possible. That’s why its makers gave it a name which is also a category for itself. There are other versions, which are not produced by Rubin, but the original is original. If you have a chance, order it and try it. Your pallet will be thankful for a shot of Vinjak for sure.

Rubin

The very Vinjak, one of the most popular drinks in Serbia, and the main name linked to Rubin, entered the French market.

images (1)There are many lessons we all learn while we are young, but, one extremely important lesson we learn when it’s already too late. Of course, I’m talking about not-mixing-the-different-types-of-alcohol! Thank God, I learned that lesson by watching my friends, and not by experiencing the agony on my own.  Sure, I was sorry to see them suffer, but, they were already warned by some other people, and they didn’t listen.

It happened that one of the drinks those poor souls had, was Vinjak produced by Rubin. And, while many agreed that it’s their favorite drink, it turned out that it’s so not a good idea to drink wine, vodka, or beer alongside with it. Back then I thought:”Wow, this thing requires loyalty!” But, now I know it’s the same with all alcoholic drinks.

Some guys said that it has nothing to do with the mixing, but that the product of Rubin is simply twisted, but I have to disagree on that. After all, Rubin worked for 60 years, and vineyards nearby Krusevac, where it’s built, are well-known by its quality. There were years, during the sanctions, when everything was falling down, as well as the quality of Rubin’s drinks, however, those times are behind us all, and Rubin keeps winning the prizes, and it’s welcomed on new markets.kaufen_rubin

Did you know?

The very Vinjak, one of the most popular drinks in Serbia, and the main name linked to Rubin, entered the French market.  Andre Steiner, the owner of the Distillery de La Tour, stated that Vinjak deserves a place among top 5 best brandies on the planet. He stated that Vinjak satisfies very high standards, but that it needs better distributors and marketing campaign.

Also, even though the local people are used to the old package of Vinjak, he stated that Asian market requires fancy package, rather than traditional, simple one. He stated that American market requires a good background story of the product, and that European market requires an acceptable price. Two of the three requirements were already there, so all Rubin had to do is to give their product a new, fancier suit. And, they did quite well. As far as I can say it looks simple and luxurious, classic and traditional.

These were good news, not just for Rubin, but for all the people who enjoy Vinjak, and who always claimed that it’s the best brandy in the world. Of course, when you support a local product, you might not be able to judge objectively. Finally, we will hear what the entire world has to say.buy_rubin