According to folklore the original recipe for Serbia’s national drink Slivovitz (Plum Brandy) was derived by monks at the monastery of St. Prokupia in Prokuplje in the XIV century. Their recipe was fairly simple: pick the ripest and healthiest plums; crush them in vats to allow fermentation; distill the fermented mass twice (once to produce the raw slivovitz, the second time to purify and concentrate it) and age multiple years in oak barrels. This recipe was practiced by most monks as well as villagers ever since. This widespread practice allowed slivovitz to survive six centuries of Ottoman occupation but also created slivovitz of varied quality. In 1955 Prokupac A.D., was founded with the goal of producing Slivovitz (Plum Brandy) of the highest quality; a challenge they’ve proudly accepted and turned into a 50 year plus tradition. Along the way Manastirka has earned hundreds of medals for quality at various domestic and international competitions.
Prokuplje, located in southern Serbia, with its rolling hills is ideally suited for growing plums. Slightly larger than a human thumb “Požegača” the king of all plums is prized for the production of slivovitz. It’s a late ripening varietal which is super sweet. Once distilled and aged for a minimum of 10 years the flagship of the Prokupac A.D. line Manastirka is made. The name Manastirka means “of the Monastery” and is a tribute to the old monastery of St. Prokupia. Manastirka established Slivovitz as a world class spirit. It should always be enjoyed neat and amongst friend. A toast to the monks is optional.
