Where every drop carries its own story
The orchard in Šumadija, the house in Belgrade. Plum and quince, distilled in small batches and left to rest in oak.
Melem
We never had to invent a name
Melem is the old Serbian word for a balm, the thing that soothes and heals and gets kept for the occasions that deserve it. When it came time to write what was in the bottle, no other word came close.
We distil what the orchard gives. Some years that is a barrel more, some years a barrel less.
Story
A little fruit, a lot of time
We pick the fruit ourselves, from orchards in Šumadija our family has worked for generations. We buy nothing in, and nothing reaches the still before it is fully ripe.
After the distilling it comes down to wood and patience. The spirit stays in oak for at least three years, until the edge is gone and the colour has arrived. There is no telling in advance when that will be.
That is why the label carries the year of the harvest
The rakija
Two spirits, one hand
Both go into oak and we fill every bottle by hand.
Plum rakija
- Family reserve
Rakija
Plum
Prunus domestica
The plums ferment on their own wild yeast, with nothing added, then go to the copper still. Only the middle of the run goes into the bottle, the rest we throw out.
In the glass
Dried plum and vanilla, a wisp of smoke behind them. Warm in the throat, with no bite.
- Alcohol
- 40.0 % vol
- Volume
- 0.7 l
- Maturation
- Oak barrel
- Origin
- Serbia
Quince rakija
- Family reserve
Rakija
Quince
Cydonia oblonga
We pick quince late, once a single crate can scent a whole room. It goes to the still at once: a quince that waits a week is no longer the same quince.
In the glass
Honey, quince blossom and lemon peel. Fresh, soft, long.
- Alcohol
- 40.0 % vol
- Volume
- 0.7 l
- Maturation
- Oak barrel
- Origin
- Serbia
How we distil
Four steps, none of them skipped
- 01
Orchard
Picked ripe and distilled fresh. A few days at most pass between the tree and the still.
- 02
Still
Copper pot, small batches. We take only the middle of the run, so no two batches ever line up.
- 03
Oak
The barrel works while we wait. It takes the colour, lifts the edge and gives back vanilla.
- 04
Bottle
Filled by hand, bottle by bottle. The label carries the year of the harvest.
Limited release
MELEM 20
Old & Rare, twenty years in oak
The oldest thing we have. Plum, distilled three times, laid down in oak and left there for twenty years.
The barrel takes its share over that time. What is left of a batch at the end is very little, so every bottle carries its own number.
In the glass
Dark topaz. Vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruit, almond and toasted oak. A long, soft finish with no trace of fire.
- Age
- 20 years
- Distillation
- Triple
- Alcohol
- 40.0 % vol
- Volume
- 0.7 l
Where to find us
Poured around Belgrade
Melem sits on the shelf in a handful of Belgrade bars and restaurants. The list grows as we do.
- Ljubica, Belgrade
- Zavičaj, Belgrade
Running a bar and want Melem on the list?
Get in touch and we will sort it outContact
Say hello
For orders, trade enquiries and gift packaging, write to us or find us on Instagram.
- info@melemrakija.rs
- Phone
- +381 63 271 778
- @melem_rakija
- Address
- Belgrade, Serbia