Croatian drinks: rakija, kava, beer and liqueurs to try

Country-wide guides

• Croatian Alcohol: Rakia, Pelinkovac and Other Drinks to Try

  Croatian alcohol runs from small glasses of fruit brandy to bitter herbal liqueurs and wine stretched with water. This guide explains rakija, šljivovica, kruškovac, pelinkovac, orahovac, gemišt, bikla, Maraschino and teranino, how each is served and what to order in a konoba.

• Biska: Istria's Mistletoe Rakija Explained

  Biska is Istria's mistletoe rakija: white mistletoe leaves steeped in a grape spirit, lightly sweetened and rested before bottling. Here is how it is made, why its colour shifts from olive green to cognac, and how to drink a small chilled glass after a meal.

• Cedevita: Croatia's Orange Instant Drink Explained

  Cedevita is a Croatian instant drink made by mixing flavoured powder with water, sold in sachets and tubs rather than as a bottle. Here is how to mix it so it tastes like a drink rather than syrup, where it turns up on a Croatian table and how to bring a box home.

• Coffee in Croatia: How to Order Kava Like a Local

  Order kava in Croatia and you get a small, strong espresso, not a mug of filter coffee. This guide names every drink on the menu, gives the Croatian phrases for ordering them, and explains the sitting-and-sipping ritual that goes with them.

• Croatian Beer: The Main Brands and What They Taste Like

  Croatian beer is almost always cold pale lager, and two names fill most taps: Ožujsko and Karlovačko. Osječko carries the longest history, brewed in Osijek since 1697. This guide covers what each tastes like, how beer is ordered in a konoba, which dishes it suits and what to buy for the journey home.

• Croatian Liqueur: Pelinkovac, Maraschino and What to Order

  Croatian liqueur splits into two families: bitter herbal bottles such as pelinkovac and amaro, and sweeter cherry and nut liqueurs such as Maraschino and orahovica. This guide explains what each tastes like, how it is served after a meal and which one to choose.

• Croatian Tea: What It Is and What to Drink in Croatia

  In Croatia, čaj usually means a herbal infusion rather than a cup of Camellia sinensis: camomile, mint, sage and linden picked at home or bought in sachets. Here is how the word is used, which herbs dominate, where Franck fits and how tea sits alongside coffee and pastries.

• Maraschino Liqueur: What It Is and How to Drink It in Croatia

  Maraschino liqueur is a clear cherry liqueur distilled from whole Marasca sour cherries, pits, stems and all, and its home is Zadar on the Dalmatian coast. This guide covers what it tastes like, how it differs from cherry brandy and amaretto, how to order it after a meal in Croatia, and the Queen of Zadar cocktail.

• Medica: Croatia's Honey Liqueur and How to Drink It

  Medica is Croatia's honey liqueur: a grape-based spirit sweetened with acacia and chestnut honey and served chilled in small glasses. It appears on menus as medenica, medovača or medovica, and the two bottles you are most likely to meet are Badel Medica and Šoškić Medica.

• Rakija: Croatia's Fruit Brandy, Types and How to Drink It

  Rakija is a fruit brandy distilled across Croatia and the wider Balkans, poured in small glasses before a meal. Here are the main styles, from grape loza to herbal travarica, how strong it tends to be, and how to sip it without treating it as a challenge.

• Šljivovica: Croatia's Plum Brandy, How It's Made and How to Drink It

  Šljivovica is Croatia's plum brandy, made from fermented plums and usually around 40% alcohol. It arrives as a small measure before a meal, can be clear or oak-aged, and sits beside lozovača, travarica, viljamovka and medica on any konoba tray.