Vruca Rakija (Serbian Hot Brandy) Recipe

Serbian Christmas Eve or badnje vece wouldn't be the same without an alcoholic drink known as vruca rakija (where vruca means "hot" and rakija means "brandy"), often referred to simply as rakija (rrah-kee-yah) or rakia.  Rakija is typically as clear as water and drunk at room temperature or cold but, when simmered with caramelized sugar and water to become a potent hot drink (vruca rakija) for Christmas Eve, it develops an amber color. 

Every family and church group has its closely guarded recipe. After the traditional Christmas Eve vespers service and Yule log or badnjak burning, a great meatless meal is enjoyed by the faithful with a sip of vruca rakija.

Rakija is a powerful brandy made from the distillation of almost any fermented fruit each with its own specific rakija name. Slivovica (plum rakija) is the most popular and the strongest and is used to make vruca rakija. But you can find apricot, peach, grape, fig, quince, and even juniper. Each has its own flavor that can be subtle or in your face. Rakija is to South Slavs as vodka is to Poles or Russians. It’s especially popular in Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro, and it's creeping its way into the hearts of non-Slavic nations like Romania, Albania, and others.

The best rakija is homemade. Serbians take great pride in making their own and, we can attest, it's far superior to bottled rakija which often contains preservatives. If you want to try the real thing, get your hands on a batch of homemade hooch.

The alcohol content is typically 50 to 80 percent but many like to produce it as high as 90 percent. After a night of drinking rakija or other potent potables, many Serbians swear by a strong cup of Turkish coffee. But burek and a cold glass of kefir also are hangover cures.