Zadar - the City of Premium Natural Liqueurs and Brandies

The aromas and flavours of this part of the Mediterranean are literally transformed into great liqueurs and brandies of high quality, which should be indulged in, but not to excess. Anyone who arrives in Zadar, for the first or hundredth time, ought to know that they arrived in the city where some of the best alcoholic beverages in the world are being produced.

P.T. - an Authentic Zadar Blend with Pelinkovac Liqueur

"Maraska" factory obtains raw materials for its Maraschino, the indigenous maraska sour cherries, "the sweetest sour cherries in the world", from its own large plantation in the hinterland of Zadar. Some other liqueurs, Cherry Brandy and Chericca, are also produced from the same sour cherry, in which alcohol and cherry aromas are combined through special technology and are consumed as digestifs, dessert companions or in countless combinations of cocktails. “Maraska” factory created a line of soft drinks, juices, syrups, nectars, and even jams, called "Amarena", which contain only the best and healthiest sour cherry fruits.

However, in the long history of "Maraska", brandies and liqueurs were created that do not have a sour cherry base but, as in the case of the phenomenal bitter liqueur Vlahovac, which, according to a recipe from the 19th century, the aroma is given by several types of aromatic herbs and grasses from nature. Interestingly, in Zadar itself, by far the most popular liqueur is Pelinkovac, whose aroma and sweet-bitter taste is given by the medicinal Mediterranean plant wormwood (pelin). It was precisely in Zadar that a simple cocktail of Pelinkovac and tonic, simply called P.T., was created spontaneously at local bars. This mixture is almost never served at bars of other Croatian cities, and in Zadar it enjoys a cult status. P.T., served with an ice cube and a slice of lemon, refreshes both, the young and the old, and is consumed with equal passion by both, men and women.

"Maraska" takes special pride in its product line of traditional Croatian brandies, such as plum brandy (Šljivovica, Slivovitza) aged for seven years, including Williams Pear brandy (Viljamovka), and traditional Dalmatian herbal brandy (Travarica) based on wine must, with the addition of a selection of aromatic herbs. It was exactly "Maraska's" herbal brandy, that the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban indulged in on his holiday in 2019 in the small town of Brgulje on the Zadar island of Molat. This famous politician spends his holidays almost regularly on the Adriatic, especially in the Zadar archipelago. And of course, he enjoys the local food and drinks.

The products of Zadar "Maraska" factory are omnipresent in all shops, bars and restaurants of our city, but it is still best to visit the specialized "Maraska" store in the centre of Zadar, close to the Cathedral of St Anastasia. The range of products there is much larger than we were able to list here, and in this boutique, it is possible to choose from a great variety of gifts and souvenir packages, so that guests could bring the unique aromas of Zadar liqueurs and brandies home and share them with friends.

Premium Liqueurs from Maraska Sour Cherries and Figs by the Fiolić Winery

While "Maraska" has grown into a large and powerful factory in its century-long history, the tradition of producing brandies (based on wine pomace) and liqueurs, mostly from Maraska sour cherries and green walnuts (Orahovac) has remained home-produced by hobby makers, who produce these alcoholic drinks exclusively for their own needs. Large jars in which tiny sour cherries are fermenting in sugar and in the sun are the usual ambience of Zadar backyards or balconies. But, fortunately, smaller producers of liqueurs and brandies have come of age, combining the rich Zadar tradition with new knowledge and technologies and have produced excellent alcoholic products as well.

Brothers Mario and Dario Fiolić are primarily winemakers who have come a long way from hobby and garage wine production to a now serious family winery that produces seven labels of premium wines. Almost unintentionally, without great ambitions, they first started producing maraska sour cherry liqueur, and then an exclusive dried fig liqueur. The base of these liqueurs, which they produce exclusively from organically grown fruits, is their own grape brandy (Lozovača), and the curiosity is that in their "handmade" liqueur production, the Fiolić brothers use demineralized sea water exclusively. The aromas and flavours of their liqueurs, which are best tasted on their own, with maybe just an ice cube, have already won gold medals and championship standing in Croatia and abroad at the very first events and competitions they participated in. Today, the Fiolić Winery liqueurs have an exclusive status on the market, at Zadar's restaurants and in specialized stores. When you are already in Zadar, it is best to look for them in the tasting room of the Winery in the Borik area of Zadar, or in the “Barrel Wine Store”, a specialized boutique of alcoholic beverages. After all, that is where you will also find great wines by the Fiolić brothers and other Zadar winemakers.

Natural Brandies and the First Croatian Gin by the Boutique Distillery "Mashtel"

Only seven years ago, two friends, entrepreneurs in other trades, Edvin Šare and Šime Peša, set out in their specific way of production of traditional Dalmatian brandies, again, more out of enthusiasm and hobby. They created and realized the project "Mashtel", a boutique distillery for the production of brandy. They bought a modern distiller, which is the integral part of a pleasant tasting room in Zaton, a small town near Zadar. In this distillery, they have taken a more difficult, but the right path: in a long process of production and aging, they get their distillates from almost 15 types of different plant bases that are completely natural. That is how the premium "Mashtel" brandies were created. They produce brandies from apples, plums, maraska sour cherries, quinces, cantaloupes (miluni), mandarins, carob, figs, wine must, walnuts and even, according to an old recipe - honey.

"Mashtel" Distillery has brilliantly designed ceramic and glass bottles for its products, but the real wealth comes inside them. Each of the brandies has its own specific aroma according to the production raw material base. Whether as an aperitif or a digestive, these brandies always come in handy in moments of relaxation, of course, always in moderation. Still, these are drinks with a high percentage of alcohol.

"Mashtel" takes special pride in their last product of the line - the first Croatian real gin. In this distillery, this well-known drink is made from wine distillate and pine berries (spruce), with the addition of as many as nine aromatic plants, which give this premium gin a special aroma and taste. That is why labels of "Mashtel's" gin state that it is inspired by Dalmatia. So, when you are already in Dalmatia and Zadar, it would be a big mistake not to get hold of this great product, which you can also find at the best restaurants and bars in Zadar, the "Barrel Wine Store" and other specialized stores as well as.

Many guests who have visited our city have not missed the opportunity to simply and easily, in bottles, bring home some of the top aromas and flavours we wrote about here, and which they found only in Zadar - the city of best liqueurs and brandies.