I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian brandy
called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round,
coin-shaped bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal"
looking bottle, and was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper
than the clear stuff. (but both were kind of spendy) One was 80 proof
and one was 90 proof, and I don't remember for sure which was which --
but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.

Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between? Which
is better, the clear or the brown?

Thanks, regards,
Bob

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
>I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian brandy
>called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round, coin-shaped
>bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal" looking bottle, and
>was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper than the clear stuff.
>(but both were kind of spendy) One was 80 proof and one was 90 proof, and
>I don't remember for sure which was which --
> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
>
> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between? Which is
> better, the clear or the brown?
>
> Thanks, regards,
> Bob

This describes it best:
Slivovice je Bozí dar, se kterým se ale musí umet zacházet. Uz po staletí se
na toto téma vedou vselijaké disputace se stejnou chutí, s jakou se tento
lahodný mok konzumuje.

Good stuff, made by farmers from plums. It is not wussy stuff like most
American brandy.

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 02:47:12 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>
>"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
>>I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian brandy
>>called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round, coin-shaped
>>bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal" looking bottle, and
>>was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper than the clear stuff.
>>(but both were kind of spendy) One was 80 proof and one was 90 proof, and
>>I don't remember for sure which was which --
>> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
>>
>> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between? Which is
>> better, the clear or the brown?
>>
>> Thanks, regards,
>> Bob
>
>This describes it best:
>Slivovice je Bozí dar, se kterým se ale musí umet zacházet. Uz po staletí se
>na toto téma vedou vselijaké disputace se stejnou chutí, s jakou se tento
>lahodný mok konzumuje.
>
>Good stuff, made by farmers from plums. It is not wussy stuff like most
>American brandy.
>

Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
referenced this stuff every once in a while?

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue wrote:
>
> Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
> referenced this stuff every once in a while?
>


I think that was "Sipowicz" ;-)

Bob

> Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
> referenced this stuff every once in a while?


I don't know about TV, but slivovitz was mentioned in the movie Avalon. The
family were Jewish immigrants and they mentioned how their father never
drank water in America but drank slivovitz.



"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 02:47:12 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" >
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian brandy
> >>called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round,
coin-shaped
> >>bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal" looking bottle,
and
> >>was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper than the clear stuff.
> >>(but both were kind of spendy) One was 80 proof and one was 90 proof,
and
> >>I don't remember for sure which was which --
> >> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
> >>
> >> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between? Which
is
> >> better, the clear or the brown?
> >>
> >> Thanks, regards,
> >> Bob
> >
> >This describes it best:
> >Slivovice je Bozí dar, se kterým se ale musí umet zacházet. Uz po staletí
se
> >na toto téma vedou vselijaké disputace se stejnou chutí, s jakou se tento
> >lahodný mok konzumuje.
> >
> >Good stuff, made by farmers from plums. It is not wussy stuff like most
> >American brandy.
> >
>
> Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
> referenced this stuff every once in a while?
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

zxcvbob wrote:

> I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian
brandy
> called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round,
> coin-shaped bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal"
> looking bottle, and was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper
> than the clear stuff. (but both were kind of spendy) One was 80
proof
> and one was 90 proof, and I don't remember for sure which was which
--
> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
>
> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between?
Which
> is better, the clear or the brown?

I haven't tried the darker kind, but the clear one is probably Maraska
brand Stara Sljivovica (aged plum brandy, eau-de-vie) from Zadar,
Croatia.

I perform with a Balkan folk dance ensemble, so I have many friends
from the former Yugoslavia. I've been told that Maraska has chemical
additives and can cause headaches/hangovers worse than the homemade
version, but maybe that's just from drinking too much! I enjoy and
recommend it.

My Romanian language professor told me that in Romania, they test
homemade tuica (Romanian sljivovica) by pouring some into a saucer and
lighting it with a match. It will burn if it's at least 100 proof. It
is then considered suitable for drinking.

Zivili! (ZHEE-vee-lee = cheers!)

Derek Juhl

zxcvbob wrote:
> I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian
brandy
> called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round,
> coin-shaped bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal"
> looking bottle, and was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper
> than the clear stuff. (but both were kind of spendy) One was 80
proof
> and one was 90 proof, and I don't remember for sure which was which
--
> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
>
> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between?
Which
> is better, the clear or the brown?
>
> Thanks, regards,
> Bob

Slivovitz is a powerful plum brandy... always offered at a bris so the
men don't faint.

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 03:18:28 GMT, "Ray" >
wrote:

>> Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
>> referenced this stuff every once in a while?
>
>
>I don't know about TV, but slivovitz was mentioned in the movie Avalon. The
>family were Jewish immigrants and they mentioned how their father never
>drank water in America but drank slivovitz.
>
I didn't see Avalon, so that can't be where I've heard of it.

This is going to bug me :<

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

In article >, zxcvbob
> wrote:

> I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian brandy
> called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round,
> coin-shaped bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal"
> looking bottle, and was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper
> than the clear stuff. (but both were kind of spendy) One was 80 proof
> and one was 90 proof, and I don't remember for sure which was which --
> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
>
> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between? Which
> is better, the clear or the brown?
>
> Thanks, regards,
> Bob

Better? Slivovice is vile stuff, IMNSHO. The real stuff has a sprig of
thyme in it. I think it's thyme. Inserted into the bottles by stara
babkas.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Arizona vacation pics added 3-24-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

In article >, zxcvbob
> wrote:

> Curly Sue wrote:
> >
> > Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
> > referenced this stuff every once in a while?
> >
>
>
> I think that was "Sipowicz" ;-)
>
> Bob
>

<wiping spit spray from screen and whapping Bob on the head!)
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Arizona vacation pics added 3-24-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

Curly Sue Mar 27, 8:36 pm show options

Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: (Curly Sue) - Find messages by this
author
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 04:36:49 GMT
Local: Sun, Mar 27 2005 8:36 pm
Subject: Slivovitz?
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original | Report Abuse

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 03:18:28 GMT, "Ray" >



wrote:
>> Wasn't there a TV program (a comedy?) a long time ago where they
>> referenced this stuff every once in a while?

>I don't know about TV, but slivovitz was mentioned in the movie
Avalon. The
>family were Jewish immigrants and they mentioned how their father
never
>drank water in America but drank slivovitz.

I didn't see Avalon, so that can't be where I've heard of it.

This is going to bug me :<
Sue(tm)
---------------------------
The first time I ever heard of Slivovitz was in a movie about 14 or
more years ago. Don't remember the name of the movie, but it had
Ann-Margret and Brian Dennehy in it. If you go to imdb.com and type in
those two names, you could get the name of the film.
Nancree

wrote:

>
> I perform with a Balkan folk dance ensemble, so I have many friends
> from the former Yugoslavia. I've been told that Maraska has chemical
> additives and can cause headaches/hangovers worse than the homemade
> version, but maybe that's just from drinking too much! I enjoy and
> recommend it.

IMHO, Maraska is one of the better imports. Another good one is
Monastirka. There is no reason in the world to add chemical additives
to a distilled spirit like slivovitz. It's made in pot stills and has
plenty of "tops and bottoms" which guaranty a memorable hangover
whatever the brand.

Zivio,

D. M.

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> I saw something interesting at the liquor store. A Yugoslavian brandy
> called "Slivovitz." Two different kinds; one was in a round,
> coin-shaped bottle, and it was clear. The other was in a "normal"
> looking bottle, and was brown like whiskey, and was a little cheaper
> than the clear stuff. (but both were kind of spendy) One was 80 proof
> and one was 90 proof, and I don't remember for sure which was which --
> but I think the whiskey-colored was stronger.
>
> Is this good, or just overpriced crap, or something in between? Which
> is better, the clear or the brown?
>
> Thanks, regards,
> Bob

It's plum brandy, like grape brandy it comes in all qualities. I have had
it smooth and mellow so that you could sip it neat and I have had it raw and
burning so that you would want to use it to set fire to charcoal. The first
kind is very nice as a change if you like to drink spirits and you can
really get the plum aroma. The colour is not necessarily a guide to quality
as it might come from age in a cask (which might be good) or from the
addition of caramel (which might be anything). Just because it was exported
does not give a clue about the quality either as "export quality" has no
meaning.

Without the detail of the make and model I couldn't say for sure what you
saw in the shop but I seem to recall that Maraska Stara Domarca (or
something close to that) comes in a round flat bottle with a picture of
plums in the centre of the disk. If that is the one it is well worth a try.

David

http://www.internetwines.com/spirits-brandy-sliv.html

The Croatian Slivovitz sold at most liquor stores (at least on the West
Coast) is reasonable but it is pretty sharp\aggressive and is more of
an acquired taste. It tastes somewhere between diesel fuel and
Listerine with hints of fruit. I grew up with it so I like it but most
friends I have offered it to are no longer friends and keep referring
to my attempt to poison them. The few that were brave enough to drink
it found out later why there are no breakfast meetings organized on the
Balkans.

Personally, I prefer the Clear Creek brandies produced in Oregon - they
are very good, with nice gentle fruit aroma. My personal favourite is
the pear brandy.

The Balkans produce many types of brandy - anything from grapes to
pears, plums, apricots, etc. All can be real good or real bad (just
like any alcohol). Most have a fairly sharp taste. Some are aged in oak
barrels (mostly the grape brandy) and have the darker color. It's an
acquired taste.