Pelinkovac
Pelinkovac is a bitter liqueur based on wormwood (Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian pelen or pelin), popular in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as in Slovenia, where it is known as pelinkovec or pelinovec. The alcohol content is 28–35% by volume. It has a very bitter taste, resembling that of Jägermeister.
The most popular brands in Croatia are the Pelinkovac made by Dalmacijavino (Split, Croatia), Maraska Pelinkovac made by Maraska Distillery (Zadar, Croatia), Rovinjski Pelinkovac, made by Darna Distillery (Rovinj, Croatia) and the Badel Pelinkovac, made by the Badel Distillery (Zagreb, Croatia) since 1871. Badel's pelinkovac is closer to the taste of Jägermeister, but a little less sweet and more bitter. Maraska's pelinkovac is very popular in Croatia just as Dalmacijavino's pelinkovac which is also being exported throughout the region. Alcohol volume in Maraska and Badel pelinkovac is 28% while alcohol volume in Dalmacijavino Pelinkovac is 32%.
The company "MB Impex" from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has produced Zlatni Pelin since 2006. Zlatni Pelin contains 23 herbs, and has a 28% alcohol content. Each bottle also contains a sprig of wormwood, which gives additional flavour.
In Serbia, the most popular brand of pelinkovac is Gorki List, which was made until 2009 by the state-owned company Subotičanka from Subotica, in the province of Vojvodina. Since 2009, when Subotičanka went into bankruptcy, the production and bottling of this brand has been moved to Slovenia.[1] Currently the brand is the property of the Slovenian company Grenki List.[2]
Although less renowned within the region, pelinkovac is also produced by a number of small distilleries in Slovenia, Istria and in the city of Trieste and Friuli, Italy.
Similar drinks of other countries
In Bulgaria, pelin (пелин) is a type of wine with up to 34 herbs and some fruits added, including wormwood, St John's wort, apple and quince.[3] It is often sold carbonated.
There is also a Romanian drink called vin pelin (wormwood wine), consisting mainly of bittered wine.
In Poland a similar liqueur is produced called Piołunówka, which they consider a type of nalewka.