Macedonia Rakia Party Gone Too Far

It isn't only Bulgaria that make Rakia and party, their neighbours in Macedonia do this as well, although judging from what I have seen here, they have more hardened drinkers that the Bulgarians.

I have clipped a video that proves my point here. This would never go on like this in Bulgaria it becomes anti-social towards the end of the clip. I don't believe there were any police around at the time for the drunken driver, but then the police might well have been in on the act as well seeing as it was seemingly a village scene.

One last point, before you go into this video, don't show it to the kids! It will give the wrong impression as to the reasons for Rakia. Rakia deserves to be respected, it certainly isn't here.

Taken from http://ladym.blog.com.mk/node/104104

Rakia - A Way of Life in Bulgaria

Rakia has become a way of life since moving to Bulgaria, everything seems to be geared towards that Rakia moment at the end of each day. It is like a little signal to say, this is the end of the time for work and the relaxation can begin. This isn't always the case though, there are evenings without Rakia, why is this?

Evenings without Rakia are in the minority here, but every once in a while the pleasure needs a break. Not from want more from starving yourself from the home made liqueur, a self-sacrifice for a reason. That reason is simple, it is because the delay in it being tasted, maybe two or three days later, the pleasure become even more intense and more cause to enjoy.

The evening's tipple is usually one small glass and on occasion two if it is a late night or extra Rakia drinking company is around. This applies to week day where work is due the next day. Weekends may be and very often are slightly different.

Weekends and Rakia just seem made for each other. The food is normally more special and so the Rakia ritual is heighten as the food has a natural lending to be accompanied with the spirit. This is maybe why Bulgarians just use forks to eat with, as a knife is totally unpractical with none forking hand having the Rakia welded to it. Knives laid on a table for eating when Rakia is on the table just doesn't work in Bulgarian homes.

Whether winter or summer Rakia is enjoyed in the home or outside respectively. Birthdays and name days a quick nip with snacks at work as well. For religious occasions including, birth, marriage and death, Rakia has its place in these traditions in Bulgaria.

This aside, you don't need a celebration or special event to enjoy Rakia, perhaps in Bulgaria the event of drinking Rakia is a celebration in itself.

Pomorie 69 Rakia - A Short Advert

A very short video clip of a television advert for the Bulgaria 'Pomorie 69' brand Rakia. It is quite The quality of the video isn't that great, but it isn't that old.

Additional Message:
Sorry everyone I have had to delete this advert as it automatically kicks in when my blog is opened/ I hate that when this happens to me on other blog so my apologises to those who have had to endure this recently. My oversight I'm afraid. I won't put any more of these clips on this site again.

This is the link if you want to see this particular clip - http://www.bgvip.tv/play.php?vid=9178

A Rakia Bar In Serbia

There is a Rakia Bar that has opened up in the centre of Belgrade a couple of years ago. It has its own Rakia Bar Website, which is where these extracts orginate, the site is well worth a visit.

The Serbians of course have also a great reputation for homemade rakia or brandy making and a love of the drink as much as thge Bulgarians. I don't know of any bar that is called Rakia in Yambol, Bulgaria which is quite surprising considering the City is in the centre of one of the biggest rakia production areas in Bulgaria. Added to which is the fact that there are literally hundreds of bars and restaurants all that serve rakia as the first chose for many customers.

There is also a second Rakia Bar in Belgrade which also features on the site, again, have a peek. If ever you are in Belgrade give either Rakia Bar a visit, I certainly will if I'm in the area.

Finally, it would be interesting to see if anyone has actually been there and visited the Rakia Bars, if you have, let us all know what you thought.

Rakia Bar is set in the centre of Belgrade, in the part called Dorćol, at 5 Dobračina Street which is located between Vasina and Braće Jugovića Streets. The location is one of the most beautiful in the city making Rakia Bar almost equally remote from Kalemegdan, Knez Mihajlova Street and the Square of Republic, close by the National Theatre and National Museum. Rakia Bar was opened June 17th, 2006. Brandy is to Serbian people what whisky is to Britons, cognac to Frenchmen, metaxa to Greeks or tequila to Mexicans. The distillate of the finest fruit, usually plum, has been refined for years and represents one of the expressions of Serbian national being. Brandy is present in all the occasions significant to Serbs, both when they celebrate and when they mourn. www.rakiabar.com

Rakia - A Good Name for a Baby?

Having surfed the word Rakia for some time on the web, there are quite a few people called Rakia, we have already been following: an artist: Arabian horses: a dixieland jazz band: an Arifcan pop group and an Olympic Athlete all named Rakia.

Today I came across a site that focussed on the popularity of babies names and has an account the name Rakia for newly borns. It's not that popular, even though the name has biblical references.

Baby names - the name Rakia

Baby names info for Rakia:

* Gender: a girl name
* Syllables: 3
* Characters: 5

Alternate Forms/Spellings:

* We currently have no alternate spellings of the name Rakia, but we are constantly updating our records!

Baby Names Popularity:

Rakia does not currently rank in the top 1000 names.

Products personalized with the name Rakia:

* Baby Baseball cards - complete with Rakia's name and photo!
* Personalized Toy Boxes - to store Rakia's baby toys.

Wow! Rakia is an uncommon name! YeahBaby has over 26,500 baby names in our database of international names popularity, but Rakia was not one of those names. And since our database goes back to 1990, the name Rakia hasn't been popular in past years either!

http://www.yeahbaby.com/baby-name.php?name=Rakia

Homemade Rakia For Stomach Aches

Bulgarian rakia has many uses and like many other spirits in different homelands, there are many local traditional medicinal ways that are used to treat illnesses and sickness that have been passed down through the years. This week I was to find out one of these traditional medicinal remedies that was used to great effect to treat a stomach complaint.

A neighbour was complaining about severe stomach aches, which had been going on for two to three days. It had been very cold and this had apparently got to her. She wasn't old, around 30 years old, but didn't look too good at all as she was about to go to the doctor to have it checked out.

Our family suggested she used an old Bulgarian trick that just might work before she goes to the Doctor and pays out money for the trip plus no doubt prescription charges that she could ill afford with a family to feed and her husband out of work.

The method was, just before the patient goes to bed, soak some tissue paper in strong homemade rakia then place it over the stomach. This should then be covered with a tea towel and secured around the waist so the tissue underneath doesn't dislodge. Then drink a small glass full of rakia and sleep on it. This was exactly what the woman did with our supervision after which we said goodnight and went back to our own home.

The next morning there was a totally recovered neighbour at our doorstep with a box of chocolates thanking us for our help. She has totally recovered from here stomach problem. The rakia taken internally and externally had done the trick.

I don't suggest for one moment that this will work every time someone has stomach problems, there may be more serious problem that rakia can't cure, but it worked very well in this case.

Buy Homemade Rakia Through Online Auctions

This is what goes on right now. Rakia for sale through online auctions. tis partcular batch went for 14 leva a litre - Very expensive as you can buy it on the street for around 6-8 leva a litre. If you add delivery costs, it amounts to an incredible price to pay for homemade Rakia that hasn't even been sampled. This was clipped direct from the Bulgarian auction site.

Ракиа Brandy BID.BG - OnlineAuction BID.BG - OnlineAuction Цена: 14.00 с ддс Price: 14.00 VAT Добави Add Най- различни вкусове Ракиа, за най- различни вкусове. A variety of flavors brandy, for a variety of flavors. Цените са по договаряне според количествата. Prices are negotiable according to quantity. Изборът и количествата са големи. The selection and quantities are large. Тази стока е разгледана 13 пъти This product is considered 13 times clipped from 209.85.135.104

Another Home Made Rakia Distillery (Kazan)

A home made distillery system from the home of one of last year's (2008) Big Brother constestants. You don't need to understand Bulgarian to realise he is a fan of communism and is proud of his Rakia.

A very basic distilling system here, very much typical of many in Bulgaria set up in an outhouse in homes across the country.

Rakia Stilled As If for Last (Quote)

An interesting account of Rakia making from the heart of Bulgaria from Stara Zagora. This is in reference to joining the European Community and the closure of thousands of homemade Rakia distilleries thorughout Bulgaria.

Only poor people still rakia (brandy) in Bulgaria. A passing glance over the orders for distilleries in Stara Zagora district of Kolyo Ganchev shows that most of the people have put orders for the small stills of 180 litres. I put what we picked up from the vine-arbour in the yard. I could not afford to buy grapes, Ivan Mitev (73) says. He confesses that he and his wife have a sip of rakia almost every evening. Thus they could recollect their youth and forget the old age that is becoming harder and harder. Dimitar Zheliazkov from Stara Zagora stills rakia for the fourth time this year. He does not trust the talks that Europe could close down the distilleries. He is positive that if, God Forbid, the rulers yield to the pressure, the people will put up a resistance so they could sustain one of the few delights in their sorrowful living. The worst thing they could do is made us still the rakia secretly in villas, cellars and ceilings, Dimitar forecasts. Matey Bonev clipped from new.standartnews.com