Brinjevec
Encyclopedia
Brinjevec is a strong alcoholic drink, produced in the Karst
and Brkini regions in Slovenia
. It is re-distilled from ground and fermented juniper berries only and it differs from similar drinks that have different alcohol bases with added juniper flavor (compound Gin
, Slovak Borovička
, Dutch Jenever
, Serbian Klekovača
, etc.). It has a clear transparent color and it is meant for folk medicinal use and not for regular drinking. It contains between 40% and 50% alcohol and has a very distinctive tart taste
Kraški brinjevec means 'Karst gin' or 'Karst juniper brandy'.
Kraški brinjevec has been made by local farmers in the Karst
and Brkini regions for centuries. It was first mentioned 200 years ago. It has always been appreciated by locals for its curative effects as a cure for many problems. Because it is fermented only from juniper berries (from 100 to 150 kilos of berries for 10 liters of spirit) and distilled and re-distilled in a special copper
still
, it costs €30 or more per liter (2010) if buying from local farmers.
Kraški brinjevec is mentioned in several books such as National Geographic's Taste Slovenia by Janez Bogataj and Lonely Planet's
Slovenia - History, Culture & Outdoors as an exquisite traditional drink. It has also found its way into the brochure of Slovene souvenirs published by "Slovenia's Official Travel Guide" .
Brinjevec is sold in some bars and inns for drinking as well. However most cases such brinjevec is merely a cheap surrogate of traditional Karst brinjevec. Usually made from plum brandy, tropinovec (pomace brandy), or even alcohol made of fermented potatoes with added juniper flavor. Some prefer it this way as taste is milder and it is more drinkable.
The experts of the European Commission
were primarily interested in the natural process of brinjevec' production which is produced without any additives. Because of the original production and the characteristics of the kraški brinjevec, the drink is a candidate for the classification as a specialty on the list of world-famous drinks.
Kraški brinjevec is made of juniper berries from the species Juniperus communis. Juniperus communis is a barbed evergreen shrub or low tree that grows in a dry karst
terrain. It is a monosex plant and only female plants grow berries. Juniper berries ripen only every two or even three years, so the same bush often carries mature and immature berries. Mature berries are fleshy, dark blue, refreshing fruity smell with a bit sweet and bitter taste.
Berries are gathered in October and November with a help of a wooden stick and a specially shaped riddle. The work is difficult and time consuming. After that, the berries are cleaned, ground with a special grinder, dipped in water (3 to 4 times the quantity of berries) in a hermetically sealed container for 4 weeks on a temperature between 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.
After alcoholic fermentation of the mash ends, distillation happens in two steps in a special cooper stills, which have the ability to soften certain presence of acids in the mash. During the first distillation, a essential oil (brinjevo olje 'juniper oil') is separated from the spirit. Half a liter of oil is obtained from 100 kg of juniper berries. The second distillation is long and slow. The brandy gets its harmonious flavor only after six months of ripening.
The shape and volume of bottles (200, 500, and 700 ml) is also prescribed.
Essential oil is a side product of distilling brinjevec. As mentioned, it was used to ease menstrual pain, stomach ache or cure digestion problems of children by anointing it around navel and lower abdomen. This oil was sold in the past to local pharmacies mostly in Trieste
(Italy) and it is still very expensive (€160 or more per liter in 2010).
Juniper oil is also used to add flavors to some gins.
This oil is called brinjevo olje in Slovene
There are several registered distilleries around Slovenia distilling and selling brinjevec but it can be bought in small quantities from local farmers as well who distill it for personal use.
Kraški Brinjevec
Brinjevec
Kras
Karst ; also known as the Karst Plateau, is a limestone borderline plateau region extending in southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills surrounding the valley, the westernmost part of the Brkini Hills, northern Istria, and the Gulf of Trieste...
and Brkini regions in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. It is re-distilled from ground and fermented juniper berries only and it differs from similar drinks that have different alcohol bases with added juniper flavor (compound Gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
, Slovak Borovička
Borovicka
Borovička is a Slovak alcoholic beverage flavored with juniper berries. It is characterized by a white or golden colour and a taste similar to that of dry gin. It is popular especially in Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Today's commercially-produced borovička contains about 40% alcohol...
, Dutch Jenever
Jenever
Jenever , is the juniper-flavored and strongly alcoholic traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium, from which gin evolved...
, Serbian Klekovača
Klekovača
Klekovača is a mountain in the Dinaric Alps of western Bosnia and Herzegovina, located near Drvar and Bosanski Petrovac. The highest peak is the Velika Klekovača at ....
, etc.). It has a clear transparent color and it is meant for folk medicinal use and not for regular drinking. It contains between 40% and 50% alcohol and has a very distinctive tart taste
Kraški brinjevec means 'Karst gin' or 'Karst juniper brandy'.
History
The word brinovec derives from the word brin 'juniper' and it is made from juniper berries.Kraški brinjevec has been made by local farmers in the Karst
Kras
Karst ; also known as the Karst Plateau, is a limestone borderline plateau region extending in southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills surrounding the valley, the westernmost part of the Brkini Hills, northern Istria, and the Gulf of Trieste...
and Brkini regions for centuries. It was first mentioned 200 years ago. It has always been appreciated by locals for its curative effects as a cure for many problems. Because it is fermented only from juniper berries (from 100 to 150 kilos of berries for 10 liters of spirit) and distilled and re-distilled in a special copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
still
Still
A still is a permanent apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor...
, it costs €30 or more per liter (2010) if buying from local farmers.
Kraški brinjevec is mentioned in several books such as National Geographic's Taste Slovenia by Janez Bogataj and Lonely Planet's
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
Slovenia - History, Culture & Outdoors as an exquisite traditional drink. It has also found its way into the brochure of Slovene souvenirs published by "Slovenia's Official Travel Guide" .
Brinjevec is sold in some bars and inns for drinking as well. However most cases such brinjevec is merely a cheap surrogate of traditional Karst brinjevec. Usually made from plum brandy, tropinovec (pomace brandy), or even alcohol made of fermented potatoes with added juniper flavor. Some prefer it this way as taste is milder and it is more drinkable.
Geographical indication of Kraški brinjevec
The Slovenian parliament passed the Act on Rules Concerning the Designation of Geographical Origin of Kraški brinjevec (Karst Gin) on 30 June 2003. On 15 January 2008 the European Parliament passed a regulation on the definition, description, presentation, labeling, and protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89. Under this regulation, brinjevec became a protected drink with geographical origin .The experts of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
were primarily interested in the natural process of brinjevec' production which is produced without any additives. Because of the original production and the characteristics of the kraški brinjevec, the drink is a candidate for the classification as a specialty on the list of world-famous drinks.
Kraški brinjevec is made of juniper berries from the species Juniperus communis. Juniperus communis is a barbed evergreen shrub or low tree that grows in a dry karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
terrain. It is a monosex plant and only female plants grow berries. Juniper berries ripen only every two or even three years, so the same bush often carries mature and immature berries. Mature berries are fleshy, dark blue, refreshing fruity smell with a bit sweet and bitter taste.
Berries are gathered in October and November with a help of a wooden stick and a specially shaped riddle. The work is difficult and time consuming. After that, the berries are cleaned, ground with a special grinder, dipped in water (3 to 4 times the quantity of berries) in a hermetically sealed container for 4 weeks on a temperature between 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.
After alcoholic fermentation of the mash ends, distillation happens in two steps in a special cooper stills, which have the ability to soften certain presence of acids in the mash. During the first distillation, a essential oil (brinjevo olje 'juniper oil') is separated from the spirit. Half a liter of oil is obtained from 100 kg of juniper berries. The second distillation is long and slow. The brandy gets its harmonious flavor only after six months of ripening.
The shape and volume of bottles (200, 500, and 700 ml) is also prescribed.
Medicinal use
Brinjevec is used as a traditional folk medicine for many problems. It stimulates blood flow in the abdominal cavity and helps cure stomach ache, indigestion, gastritis and intestinal problems. It is also used as a digestive. In the past, women used it to soothe menstrual pain. They often anointed the lower abdomen with ethereal juniper oil (a side product after first distillation) followed by a sip of brinjevec. Some older people still call brinjevec a women's drink because in the past the domestic pharmacy was under women's domain. Breathing boiling water mixed with few drops of brinjevec relieves the respiratory passages and alleviates respiratory problems of asthmatics.Essential oil is a side product of distilling brinjevec. As mentioned, it was used to ease menstrual pain, stomach ache or cure digestion problems of children by anointing it around navel and lower abdomen. This oil was sold in the past to local pharmacies mostly in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
(Italy) and it is still very expensive (€160 or more per liter in 2010).
Juniper oil is also used to add flavors to some gins.
This oil is called brinjevo olje in Slovene
Slovenian language
Slovene or Slovenian is a South Slavic language spoken by approximately 2.5 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom live in Slovenia. It is the first language of about 1.85 million people and is one of the 23 official and working languages of the European Union...
Major brands
Most of the commercially produced brinjevec is made from imported juniper berries from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and other Balkan countries. Some brinjevec is only a flavored aged natural distillate even if sold as brinjevec. These brandies do not bear the geographical indication kraški brinjevec.There are several registered distilleries around Slovenia distilling and selling brinjevec but it can be bought in small quantities from local farmers as well who distill it for personal use.
Kraški Brinjevec
Brinjevec