At the oldest European competition (International Wine & Spirit Competition), a jury panel of 120 leading experts (holders of the Master of Spirit title, famous bartenders, sommeliers, and master blenders) evaluated over 4,000 entries from 98 countries.International Wine & Spirit Competition) žiri od 120 vodećih eksperata, nosilaca titule Master of Spirit, zatim čuvenih barmena, somelijera i master blendera ocenjivao je preko 4.000 prijava iz 98 zemalja.

Baraba rakijas has won several medals in the world of spirits. They won two silver medals for quince and plum rakijas, and two gold medals for apricot and viljamovka rakijas. Baraba grape soared to the very top of the spirits world, with 99 points, winning the Outstanding gold medal.

This year, only nine spirits from around the world, includig Baraba grape received such a high rating. Among them are aquavit, rum, baijiu, Irish and Scotch whiskey, then one Armagnac and two vodkas.

Baraba Loza has become the first and only grape brandy in Serbia to receive a gold medal and such a high rating.

At the end of the competition, a selection of all the medal winners competed with each other for the overall trophy of the competition, which Baraba loza won - as the best of the best in its category!

Another spirit from Podrum Palić - Vinjak, won a silver medal in its category with 90 points at the same competition.

We would like to remind you that Baraba rakijas had a successful winning streak in the previous period. It all started with the Baraba plum winning three awards at the Brillante Hungarian Spirits Awards, last September. The awards include the Gold Medal, the Best Plum Rakija award, and the Best Commercial Rakija award for the year 2022.

Discover how the Baraba rakijas were described by top experts and judges during the IWSC 2023 IWSC 2023 competition tasting.

Baraba grape

“Exceedingly fruity on the nose with rounded flavours of juicy strawberries, pineapple, fresh apricots, zesty mandarins and fragrant moscato grapes on the palate. Blessed with a generously long floral finish that just keeps on giving. Magical.“

Baraba apricot

“Blissfully jammy with big sticky notes of apricot jam, delectable caramel, aromatic Earl Grey tea and dry vanilla shortbread. Boasts a velvety grandiose finish brimming with stunning bursts of juicy nectarines, apricots and sumptuous sweet spice.“

Baraba Viljamovka

“A well-balanced handsome spirit, crackling with the delectable notes of caramel and luscious fresh fruit. Lovely and dry on the finish with gorgeously creamy undertones of vanilla and sweet lingering spice. Highly recommended.“

Baraba plum

“Bright plums with juicy oak aromas. The wonderfully balanced palate has a soft vanilla and ground cinnamon flavour alongside an abundance of fruit character.“

Baraba quince

“Fresh and zingy, with a delicate nose led by juicy fresh fruit and hints of leafy hedgerow. Generous on the palate with an engagingly long finish.“

They presented the tale of a brand that has been around for over 125 years to their audience. First, our technologist, Aleksandar Runčev, showed them around the renovated orchard which now spans over 100 hectares. Then, he took them to the production and cellar area where our spirits are aged, either in stainless steel or barrique barrels.

While visiting Podrum Palić, they found out that the key to producing good spirit goes beyond just using high-quality fruit. It also requires the expertise, experience, and passion of the whole team who meticulously follow every step of the production process – which goal is to capture the essence of the fruit, preserve it, and seal it in a bottle while keeping the highest quality standards.

They had the chance to present the exhibits at the museum situated in the administrative building in Palić. This museum aims to preserve the tradition and history of all the spirits produced in this place.

Take a tour of our orchards and distillery with TV Adria and see where Baraba rakija is produced. Watch the segment on the link below.

We have been considering for so time, what our next novelty in expanding Podrum Palić portfolio should be. The choice was a simple, ubiquitous, but yet somewhat forgotten - Amaro. 

Amaro is a type of bitter liqueur that has a long history dating back to ancient Rome. Pharmacists during that time would add various medicinal plants, fruits, and sugar to alcohol to create bitter drinks that were said to help improve digestion after meals. These drinks were called Amaro, which is the Italian word for bitter. 

When we say it's simple, we mean compared to the technology of producing other drinks, but that's exactly why the greatest mastery is in the recipe itself - which every distillery keeps to itself as the biggest secret.

Rich, irresistible and strong character.
Complex, natural elegance and warmth.

Our Amaro, Botanic Garden nastaje infuzijom, odnosno takozvanom maceracijom 33 različite biljke, začina, cvetova, kora citrusa i kora drveta – koji se danima natapaju alkoholom, kako bi se iz njih izvukli željeni aromatski sastojci. Na kraju procesa dodaje se šećer kako bi se uravnotežila fascinantna mešavina gorkih ukusa. Tako dobijamo kompleksan, bogat a opet izbalansiran Amaro Botanic Garden sa prirodnom elegancijom i toplinom, sa 30% alkohola.

Amaro Botanic Garden is a great concert of sensations in which rhubarb, gentian and cinchona stand out.

Although at the time of great popularity of cocktails, Amaro got its new role, we recommend that you try it neat - as a digestif after a good dinner. This is how it was served even in the time of ancient Rome and Greece, so let's respect the tradition. Cheers!

During the peak of cocktail culture, Amaro was given a new role. However, we suggest trying it neat as a digestif after a good dinner. This is how it was traditionally served in ancient Rome. Let's honor this tradition and cheers to that! 

There is a reason why our best rakia are named Baraba.

Za vrhunsku rakiju, osim najboljeg voća i najnovije tehnologije koju Podrum Palić poseduje, bilo je potrebno ono „još nešto“ kako bi se napravilo plemenito piće sa karakterom – nešto tako posebno kao Baraba rakija.  Barabu je izgradilo istinski dugo iskustvo, ono neuhvatljivo znanje koje se stiče generacijama i nemoguće ga je naučiti iz knjiga. To nešto je – jedan život, a mnogo priča.

Who would be the best to explain if not Baraba himself?

Watch our four-part video series, in which Zika Todorovic - Baraba himself welcomes you to the world of top rakia!

But only for the right ones! If we understand each other…

For uncompromising quality, as characterized by Baraba rakia, each fruit must be perfectly ripe and healthy, the production process precise and accurate, and guided by the vision of our entire team.

To achieve all this, we selected fruits from the best parts of our own orchards, even during ripening, choosing trees that bear fruit of a certain quality. Our fruit bears the stamp of a climate with lots of sun and temperate climate and lands of unique composition. Every fruit in our orchard is picked by hand, and only the best, perfectly ripe fruits are selected for Baraba rakija. This unique character of the fruit ripened in the Palić region, with so many hours of sunshine and drained soil full of minerals, cannot be repeated elsewhere. From there comes the splendor of the scent and the unique stamp of terroir that sets us apart.

All the fruit we use for Baraba rakija is picked early in the morning, while at its freshest, then immediately goes for washing and manual selection, to eliminate any imperfect fruit. After grinding, the fruit peel ferments at a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees, under strictly controlled conditions in stainless steel containers. The process is monitored all the time and takes place without the addition of any artificial impurities or sugar- only what comes from nature and the fruit itself! As soon as the fermentation is completed, in order to avoid spoilage and unwanted processes, the key goes to distillation in modern copper distillers. Our cauldrons are adjusted according to the experience of our masters and technologists so that the distillates preserve as much of the smell and taste of fruit as possible and get the purest rakija possible.

However, both fruit and technology alone would not be enough to make something as special as Baraba. It requires a long experience and, elusive knowledge acquired through generations, impossible to learn from books. That is the strength of our local tradition nurtured for centuries in the areas around Subotica and Palić. On our unique terroir, fruits have been grown and selected for hundreds of years. That is why our region is the place of many autochthonous varieties of pears, grapes, peaches, apricots, and apples. This fruit-growing tradition inspired an idea to turn the best fruits into noble drinks. From such tradition, the Palić School of Viticulture with a modern nursery was founded in 1896, and the Palić Cellar became its successor in recent decades.

Passion is also important in this business, because without it there is no top drink. And making rakija for us is cracking in barrels during boiling, the sun's rays in a drop of clear and fragrant rakija, the first touch of drink on the palate and enjoying the first smell, the joy of a job done properly, on their own land, from their own, carefully selected fruit and with knowledge and experience that have turned into pride over time. Due to all that, Baraba rakijas are produced in very limited quantities and are available exclusively in selected catering facilities and specialized shops.

After all, our best rakijas have the name Baraba for good reason! Our Barabas was built by experience and that is why he is self-confident and characterful, polished and well-groomed, but always relaxed. He is accurate and precise, but free and independent. Baraba is a hedonist, but moderate in everything. Humorous, but serious, Baraba is not afraid to reach the edge, but he never crosses the border. Baraba therefore impresses and leaves a mark.

Welcome to Baraba's world. Welcome to the world of best rakia..

Baraba Quince

This rakia with a fresh and strong aroma is an extraordinary expression of natural quince, which conquers the senses even when poured, a very persistent aroma that stays in the nostrils and palate for a long time. It is made from the sweetest golden fruits of quince from our orchard, and we recommend that you sip it slightly chilled, as an aperitif. 

Baraba Apricot

The delicious, ripe, selected fruits of apricot from our orchard have been transformed into a seductive, elegant, fragrant brandy that combines the splendor and warmth of the early summer days. This elegant drink, the essential essence of fruit, will go well with a good meal.

Baraba Plum

Plum rakija is a great testimony to the skill of the distiller to create a drink that will accompany us on important life occasions and that will be a worthy outgrowth of the centuries-old tradition of this area. And the story of Baraba Šljiva rakija begins with choosing the best plum fruits in the orchards of the Podrum Palić, continues with the creation of pure fruit essence, and ends with storage in barrels made of fine oak, where the character of this drink continues its development. This rakija should be served at room temperature, at the end of a good meal.

Baraba Viljamovka

The unique, sunny climate of Palić is extraordinary for growing juicy and aromatic pears, and it does its best on this soil. From such a pear, which here show the best characteristics of its variety, we have made a brandy of noble character that will serve both as an aperitif and as a digestive.

Baraba Grape 

Experienced connoisseurs, those who expect a lot from grape brandy, already know how to appreciate our powerful, strong, and drinkable grape brandy, which is made from selected grapes from Palić vineyards. Its strong fruity, floral, and herbal notes will go well with the expertly prepared appetizer.

The precondition for every top rakia is perfect fruit, and Podrum Palić 1896 is in the best possible place for that. The exceptional quality of fruits, especially pears, apples and grapes, is a trademark of our region. The fruits ripen in orchards raised on a single soil and receive a large amount of sunlight, which is why they are characterized by intense taste and aromas that are almost forgotten today.

Only perfectly ripe fruits full of natural sweetness arrive in our cellars, which are then transformed into pure, luxurious and noble drinks by the most modern technological procedures, while respecting traditional knowledge.

Our idea is to preserve the unique character of ripe fruit, its natural aromas in our brandies, and to catch the elusive.

And we succeeded in that!

Quince rakia

Quince is said to be a symbol of beauty, happiness and immortality, and the ancient Greeks called it Aphrodite's fruit. It is extremely rich in minerals and aromatic substances, but does not accumulate too much sweetness. Due to that, its large fruits do not give much rakia, but it is of the highest quality and unique character. The noble scent of our natural quince is not easily forgotten. It is consumed as an aperitif, but also as an excellent accompaniment to good snacks.

Apricot rakia

Apricot is the queen of aromas, a fruit of unsurpassed aroma and that is why it is sought after as one of the favorite raw materials for rakia. When you open a bottle of Palić apricot, you will feel a scent reminiscent of childhood, a tree canopy full of sweet and soft fruits and homemade apricot jam. It is excellent as an aperitif, but also as a digestif after a meal.

Viljamovka rakia

Of all the varieties of pears, viljamovka is mostly grown for processing into quality rakija, due to its luxurious aromas. Palićka viljamovka is elegant, with a noble natural scent, with the taste of ripe fruit and late summer caught in a glass. Consumed as an aperitif, but it is also an excellent accompaniment to good snacks

Plum rakia

Plum rakija is a national symbol and pride, rakija deeply woven into the tradition and being of our region. We make it with a mixture of selected fruits of autochthonous plum varieties, which we carefully distill until they acquire a recognizable, noble character. Every drop of our plum carries the spirit of tradition, the original taste of ripe fruit and the character of careful ageing.

Grape rakia

Spicy grape, baked from ripe and fragrant grapes from Palić vineyards, is intended for experienced connoisseurs of good rakia. Clear as a tear, pure grape scent and perfectly balanced, rich and lasting taste, it is ideal as an accompaniment to appetizers and specialties of national cuisine.