slivovitz is an eau-de-vie made from fermented damson plums. The name comes from the Slavic word for plums—šljiva, slivka, śliwka, slíva—and the spirit is often referred to as plum brandy. Most slivovitz is produced and consumed in central and eastern Europe, and a number of countries in that area lay claim to having created it. The European Union’s solution to these competing claims is a compromise that recognizes “slivovitz” as a generic name, which allows each country to personalize it (e.g., Serbian slivovitz / Srpska šljivovica). Historically, most slivovitz has been made by home distillers, but today there are great commercially produced craft versions. See home distilling.
To make slivovitz, damson plums are harvested when they’re fully ripe and have the highest sugar content. The plums are ground coarsely and combined with water. The combination is allowed to ferment and is often exposed to wild yeast for up to two weeks. After the fermentation is complete, the “plum wine” is ready to be distilled in traditional copper pot stills. The first distillation is called “soft brandy” and has an ABV of no more than 30 percent. The soft brandy is then distilled again. The finished slivovitz has an ABV of anywhere between 40 and 60 percent.
After distillation slivovitz can be bottled unaged or can be aged in wooden barrels. However, the unaged variety is in fact generally rested for a month in glass or stainless steel vats. It is then cut with water to reduce its ABV to somewhere between 40–45 percent depending on the producer. Slivovitz can be aged for up to twenty years, usually in an uncharred oak barrel. But casks made from walnut, mulberry, acacia, or ash trees are sometimes used and give slivovitz a great depth of flavor.
People in eastern or central Europe generally drink slivovitz as an aperitif or, in the case of older brandies, as a digestive. When pairing with food, it works well with charcuterie, pâté, both young and aged cheeses, butter, radishes, roasted peppers, and all grain breads. The spirit is traditionally served at room temperature in a sipping serving of no more the 60 ml either in traditional glasses called čokanjčiċi, shot glasses, or a small snifter if the slivovitz is aged.
In winter, slivovitz is often a part of Christmas celebrations and can be offered hot—spiced and sweetened. Some of the better brands available on the market are Stara Sokolova Rakija—Šljivovica, Navip Šljivovica, Maraska Šljivovica, Jelínek Slivovitz, Vilina Trava Šljivovica, and Manastirka Šljivovica.
See also eau-de-vie; Jelínek; oak alternatives; and plums.
Ridgwell, Mark. Spirits Explained. Cheltenham, UK: Mixellany, 2012.
Šljivovica.net. http://www.sljivovica.net/ (accessed April 5, 2021).
By: Dushan Zaric