When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what do you do when life sends you plums?
At Rose Mary, Top Chef winner Joe Frum’s debut restaurant in Chicago’s West Loop, the answer is obvious. Roast it, soak it in vodka, add a pinch of sugar to bring out its natural sweetness, and let the mixture age. Drink this spirit for most of the year, then enjoy the resulting spirit in the form of a cold shot to enjoy after a meal Slivovitz, a clear plum-based spirit beloved in Central and Eastern Europe. Offers. Rose Mary’s focus is on Croatia and Italy, and its home-made infusions pair perfectly with Slivovitz’s imported bottles, making it a perfect fit for the many customers who love it. But it could be a very different story elsewhere, according to Kyle Davidson, the restaurant’s beverage director.
“In general, I don’t think Slivowitz is very well known,” he says. “We definitely have it on all our menus, we have a lot of variety, and a lot of the customers that come in are used to it. But I think most of the time it’s not very noticeable.”
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Plum-based Slivovitz and related spirits made from apricots, pears, and peaches all have a lot to offer, so this feels like a missed opportunity. These usually have great origin stories and often express a palpable sense of place, like his six fruit spirits from Croatia, which have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. Slivovitz itself is very charismatic, full of rich fruit and spice aromas, and is actually the kind of thing you’d want to use in a mixed drink, but at home these drinks are served on their own. I mostly drink. So why hasn’t Slivowitz and other fruit spirits achieved the same popularity as tequila or bourbon?
eastern europe taste
To begin with, such spirits may simply have too strong of a personality. Dusan Zaryk, co-founder of a New York employee-only group, likens Slivovitz to a bull in a china shop, writing that he can “outrun” almost anything he blends.
“It’s a transparent spirit, but it’s never neutral,” Davidson says. “That’s what you want to penetrate. You want to penetrate that in the cocktail.”
And then there’s the issue of geography. Slivowitz is primarily associated with Eastern Europe. This region is probably more difficult to travel to and transport bottles than France or Italy, not to mention our neighbors to the south.
“I feel like this is kind of a geography issue. If you live in the United States, you’ve probably been to Mexico or been to a Mexican restaurant,” he says. says.
The lack of a widely recognized cocktail doesn’t bode well for Slivowitz, either.
“The margarita is really the vehicle for tequila, and it’s one of the most popular cocktails ordered at any bar program, if not the most popular cocktail,” Davidson says. “Slivovits probably needs a signature cocktail. If there’s something that somehow becomes as popular as the margarita, I think that would definitely help make Slivovits even more popular.”
depth and complexity
Alex Kratena, former head bartender at Artesian and co-founder of Tayēr + Elementary and Muyu liqueurs, says fruit spirits in general are “very trendy” in London’s cocktail world. However, these fruit spirits come primarily from French and British producers, are often berry-based, and are commonly distributed under the chic eau-de-vie name. This cool factor has not yet been extended to plum-based slivovits or other spirits from Central and Eastern Europe.
“A well-made slivowicz can provide the same complexity in small doses, but can be overwhelming in large quantities.”
“Here in the UK, a lot of people use raspberry and many other eau de vie,” says Kratena. “Historically, there were a lot of French producers who produced eau de vie from everything. If it’s made well, it can be really great as a cocktail.”
No matter what you call it, he says the principles behind working with fruit distillates are the same. First, eau de vie can add a lot of depth, especially when combined with other approaches like fruit fermentation and fruit syrups.
“These three capture flavor in a very specific way. But when you combine them, they become incredibly complex,” he says. “Distillates are a great way to express the complexity of aromatic fruit.”
That said, he points out that less is often more. Not every cocktail requires a full shot. Klatena is often used in cocktails in much smaller quantities.
“We have to think very carefully about what it does and what flavor intensity it brings,” he says. “Because while a well-made slivowicz can provide the same complexity in small quantities, it can be overwhelming when made in large quantities.”
Balkan Rum Agricole
Slivowitz is still waiting for his star cocktail, but several contenders have emerged, many of which echo the citrus lines of Sidecar and Pisco Sour. Rose Mary offers Green Night, a mix of Croatian Maraska Slivovic with Midori, Chartreuse and lime. Bubba’s bar and restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, serves “Monastery,” a blend of slivovitz, honey, lime, and plum jam. Dušan Zalik himself invented Srivopolitan, which combines plum distillate with Cointreau, lime and plum puree. His vegan bar and restaurant Apteka in Pittsburgh expresses Central and Eastern European influences in his unique Slivowitz cocktails. It often uses Serbian or Bosnian brands and sometimes incorporates sumac and other tart ingredients.
Danilo Bozovic, author of Barkeep — The Art of Mixology, Bar & Cocktails, first met Slivovic as a child in Serbia. In Serbia, slivovic is considered a national spirit and is part of a broader category of fruit spirits known as rakija.
“I would say it’s been our tradition ever since I can remember,” he says. “Everyone’s drinking too.”
To Bozovic, Slivowitz is to the Balkans what Rhum Agricole is to the French-speaking Caribbean. Both are capable of expressing vegetal and grassy characteristics, as well as many funky notes from fermentation. And just like Rum He Agricole, when describing Slivovitz there may be some descriptions that scare drinkers who haven’t tried it yet.
“It’s like describing some kind of cheese,” he says. “When I describe agricole, it can sometimes feel a little off-putting, or it might not appeal to me very much. But when you taste it, you think, ‘Wow.’ This actually works wonders. ”
“In my humble opinion and my taste, I haven’t found any other ingredient that works better with Slivovitz than absinthe. It has that ‘rhum agricole’ aroma I mentioned, the earthiness. , opens with a very fruity, vegetal and grassy aroma. ”
Although the drink is very popular in many parts of Eastern Europe, Bozovic ranks Slivovitz’s recognition within the state somewhere between “non-existent” and “emerging.” . Unlike many spirits, Slivowitz doesn’t have a big brand ambassador or famous mixologist to promote it. And Bozovic says he has never heard of Slivowitz or similar fruit spirits makers traveling with journalists or bartenders to show them how and where to drink their drinks. It is made.
“I don’t think this mentality has the funding to back something like that,” he says. “There are big companies that make rakija, but I don’t really understand why they don’t target the United States more aggressively.”
This means that the promotion of Slivowitz and similar ethos is often left to individuals. For the Swizzle Rum Bar and Drinkery venue in Miami, Bozovic created his own Slivovitz cocktail, which combines plum spirits with a mugwort-based genepi, lemon juice, egg whites and absinthe bitters.
Due to inconsistent availability from suppliers, Bozovic incorporates spirits from a variety of producers in his drinks, but is currently name-checking Branko Slivovic of Serbia’s Belgrade Urban Distillery. There is. Bitters play an important role, he says.
“In my humble opinion and my taste, I haven’t found any other ingredient that works better with Slivovitz than absinthe. It opens up the ‘Rhum Agricole’ scent I mentioned.” Depending on the brand, aromas can be earthy, very fruity, vegetal, or grassy. ”
Slivovic’s may still be underground, but the Slivovic’s Cocktail is now a top seller, at least at Bozovic’s Bar.
“It works for me, and it works for a lot of people,” he says. “I believe Swizzle Rum Bar and Drinkery is currently the largest distributor of Slivovitz in Florida.”
slivowicz cocktail
Danilo Bozovic
material
- 1¾ ounces Slivowitz Plum Brandy
- 1/2 ounce plum wine
- 1/2 oz Dolin Génepi des Alpes
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup (1.5:1 sugar to water)
- 5 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 5 dashes of absinthe bitters*
- eat egg whites raw
direction
- Dry shake all ingredients.
- Add large ice cubes and shake vigorously.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
*To make your own absinthe bitters, combine 3 cups Pernod absinthe, 1/2 cup Fernet Branca, 1 teaspoon Peychaud bitters, and 2 tablespoons mint bitters.