We were looking for answers to first steps to take when moving to Croatia, as well as where we could find out about Croatian language lessons for our children. I had a 30 minutes session with Sara to explore my options of temporary residency in Croatia. We will be forever grateful to Lucija! That means that there will be a "aica rakije" (a glass of rakija) before any meal, which will often translate into "as soon as you enter someone's house". RAKIA is the Bulgarian national drink. Lucija was an absolute pro when it came to handling a wide range of complex and often tricky situations. She will work tirelessly to assist you, delivering her efforts with a professional can do attitude and a sunny, positive disposition, making her an absolute joy to work with. [19] A 14th century Serbian source is the earliest confirmation of Rakija-making. The call was super helpful, Sara has a wealth of experience and knowledge. You should repeat this two or three times, every so often. At the bottom of the tube is placed a small nape from which the spirit flows into a glass or plastic container. Overall, this is an excellent service from a professional team. One of these libations that we're just beginning to hear about is called Rakia (sometimes also referred to as Rakija or Rachiu) and it's considered to be the national drink of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. It is really worth taking away all the fluff and the overwhelming information online to go straight and follow her advice. Stay up to date on the latest posts from Expat in Croatia PLUS get more free content not published anywhere else. We had done lots of research, but once here, we realized we could not do this on our own. She gave advice that googling and reading various websites couldn't, which has led to a vast amount of options being available for my move to Croatia. All you need to live and travel like a local in Croatia. My wife and I appreciated that she also sent us a lot of resources after the meeting about anything we would need for applying for the digital nomad visa & living in Croatia. Highly recommended. She also talked about getting a residence permit based on studying a language. We had some questions specific to our situation and she provided us with the information we needed. The video chat with Sara was very helpful. You can google around in the hope that internet strangers know what's up, or you can go to Sara and be sure, confident and relaxed. My family and I recently considered part-time residency in Croatia but found ourselves a bit lost in the complexity of the process. "As far as drinks, we ordered the beer flight, a glass of banana beer and a glass of Croatian wine." more. This should keep your flowers fresh longer than they would otherwise be. She prepared the conversation very thoroughly leaving no information untouched. She followed up our conversation with a list of additional resources and made a couple of professional introductions. It was my first ever consultation for a Digital Nomad visa, and I'm really glad she could clarify most of my queries. Rakomelo (Greek: ) is also a popular spirit made by combining raki with honey (Greek: ) and several spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, or other regional herbs. This can be the kind of experience that may give you the feeling of friendly intimacy with others who share the bottle. He knows the process and requirements well. The rest of the month was a blur of communiques, quick road-trips to local apartments, and a flurry of what-if scenarios that needed to be resolved if my fianc was forced to remain in Croatia for any length of time. Collect only healthy fruit, and avoid picking the grass, land, leaves, and stems. Since my husband is an EU national, we initially looked at 2 other countries, and I would spend 3 hours scouring 15 separate websites to locate a fraction of the content available on Expat in Croatia. They've clarified and broken down the process of obtaining citizenship in Croatia in a way that has saved me from future headaches of trying to figure out this process on my own. Because I love Croatia and want others to experience it, but help is often needed to navigate the various vague regulations here and good information is hard to find. Rakija, Disconnecting People: Production, Flavours, Types - Total Croatia I so enjoy your newsletters, and videos. Lastly, Sara was very mindful of the amount of time we had and making sure we were covering all of the topics I was interested in discussing. Rakia - Wikipedia A big shout-out to Teri as well! Sara was really nice and super helpful in answering all of my questions! The video consultation with Sara was extremely helpful. A major contributing factor to the production of rakija in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the diversity and availability of fruit in the valley of the river Drina and the untouched and very often wild nature in the mountains. I would recommend working with Sara 100%. Useful information has been sent immediately following the meeting as promised. It can be a complicated endeavour, but Sara was able to walk us through it and put us in contact with the right people to start the process. To get the best results, spray the mold with rakija and wait for 30 minutes. We had an amazing session where we were able to cover all of my questions and much more than I anticipated. Due to the age of the fragment, contradicting the idea that rakiya production only began in the 16th century, some historians believe this indicates that rakiya did originally come from Bulgaria. After the rakija is baked, it is poured into clean glass bottles. The rakija will then drip out of a special tube. Being an American citizen who is living in Australia they were able to help me get all of the required documentation in regards to my parents Croatian citizenship from Registrar's Office as well as support me in obtaining my required documents. Many thanks for the help. I had questions regarding income tax and taxes on capital gains and about the process of applying for the visa and things to consider for eg. Sara replied on a couple of occasions to my queries and I would not hesitate to recommend her services and the team to anyone who requires assistance or sound professional advice from people in the know. Thank you Sara, you are an angel! [Read: How to buy quality products in Croatia and avoid bad ones]. At the consultation, Ines laid out the citizenship application process for us in detail. I could not recommend this service enough. Sara was very helpful and informative during our consultation. Sara is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of residency and business ownership requirements in Croatia, and provided me with sound advice on which residency options were best suited to my individual circumstances. I had a consulting session with Sara who was lovely and professional. Thank you again for your kindness. Why am I taking the time to write this? Sara was very prepared for our meeting. Fantastic prompt and excellent advice from all the staff. We were contacted by her team as a follow up a short while later to ensure her contacts had come through. Hello- I found my experience with Expat in Croatia to be very helpful. Great meeting with Sara, easily set up, stated bang on time. Sara was wonderful. Sara is approachable, professional and welcoming. She will also follow up on any additional questions that pop up after the consult. We were put in contact with Kreo, and he was very helpful, providing us with the information we needed to successfully submit our application. I am so grateful!! Wine Bars in Croatia: Wine and Rakia bar Timun in Baka She was very helpful and pointed me to the direction of an English speaking Croatian lawyer. Thank you for the great assistance via email. [citation needed] "Boma rak" in Turkey (common name of the domestic raki which is produced at homes and villages) is similar to rakia in the Balkans. I highly recommend Sara, her referrals to vetted professionals and her website! I am a French citizen planning to take a year off in Croatia, and maybe to work a little from there to pay some bills. Choose a good rakia. For the past year and a half of living in Croatia, we found the supportive information found in the Expat in Croatia newsletter to be invaluable. I had a Zoom meeting with Sara and she was incredibly helpful. The attentiveness and support right from the start was something I was amazed with which I havent experienced elsewhere. She got right to work ticking off all of our "boxes" and within days we had found our long term apartment. Muskatova rakiya is made from Muscat grapes, while the preparation method of dzhibrova rakiya is the same as for Italian grappa. She answered all our questions and even supplied many links, resources and introductions via email after our meeting. Monastery Cocktail Recipe - Liquor.com If you clean the windows with rakija, it wont leave streaks. In summer, rakiya is usually served ice cold, while in winter it's served "cooked" (Serbian: / kuvana or / grejana, Bulgarian: (greyana), Croatian: kuhana, rakiya (also called umadija tea in Serbia). Hi! Sara was extremely helpful in helping me to understand the different types of Visas, as well as the application process. I chose mailing as my preferred communication media. What (and how) to drink in Croatia - Europavox Sara not only provided her perspective on living in Croatia but employment options, timelines, what could be on and off the table from an expat perspective seeking moving there. I had some very specific questions and requirements for living on the digital nomad program and Sara was able to answer them all and point me in the right direction for future followup. It can be made out of almost any fruit, and depending on the variety, its colour and flavour change. Additionally we had time to talk about the weather in Split and things to do in the city once the tourist season is over. The crushed grape, at this stage is called brsi, is left for 25 days, almost a month which is also the right time for fermentation. Sara was great. I've had it before (the Croatian kind) and it wasn't significantly different from Vodka which you might expect (but not always obviously! Brandy rack + 6 glasses, wooden brandy rack, brandy liquor rakia serving set, liquor liqueur rakia rack, Father's day gift, gift for him Dalmatia/Komarna. Marija is a content writer, music journalist, and singer. We need a lawyer for purchase of property and got a referral almost immediately. Sara and her team where absolutely amazing and they got me in touch with a great lawyer in Split (Ivan) he fixed everything for me and has been absolutely amazing in helping and sorting out all my issues so quickly. The only thing left now is to wait for the borders in Australia to open up so I can apply for my citizenship in person and finalize the process. The time and money for her consultation was very well spent. In Turkey, it is considered a national drink. Croatia is a fantastic country. As an American with a Croatian wife, I had lots of questions. The process began nearly two years ago when I first contacted Sara at Expat. I asked about a Lawyer to help with getting citizenship, and have had nothing but professional help, can't thank expat enough for pointing us In the right direction. If we want to make a toast, everyone gets their own small glass of rakija. Rakija is usually drunk from small colorless glasses of 0,3 deciliters. Prepeenica is double-distilled rakia which has an alcohol content that may exceed 60%. You can spend hours and hours researching visa options and translating legal documents or you can see up a call with Expat in Croatia. I needed advice and guidance for the Digital Nomad Temporary Residency Permit. I met with Lucija to discuss my permit application in person and she answered all my questions, helped me with arranging an appointment at the local police station and clarified the process for me. Had a consultation session with Sara via Zoom. She handled the translations of all our documents, helped us with our applications and CVs, kept everything in order and on track, and communicated with several officials, both Croatian and Montenegrin on our behalf when English wasnt their first language. I am more than happy with the service offered and will come back if more information is required :) Eventually, rakija might irritate your gums if you repeat too much. Send this post, Want to learn more about the culture of gardening, 3 reasons why you should make it a daily habit to, By popular demand, were highlighting Island Vis, It is so common to inherit property from your fami, Do you or someone you know need help with a Croati, The oldest recorded feast of Saint Domnius (fjera, Wild plants you can pick and eat during summer in Croatia, How to buy quality products in Croatia and avoid bad ones, 5 ways to connect with Croatian craft beer culture. Sara was absolutely fabulous. Looking forward to meeting with you soon in Croatia. Finally, a place to find trusted, competent, fair and helpful professionals in Croatia! Some tsipouro in Greece is made without anise in the same manner as pomace rakia (or pomace brandy). I can just highly recommend Sara and the whole Expat in Croatia team. The most popular type of rakija in Croatia is made of plums. We often use rakija as a medicine or for other purposes in daily life. I found Sara to be very pleasant, informative, and efficient. She understood my question and inquiry via my email and got back to be very quickly with a solution and put me in contact with a vetted lawyer to which she highly recommended. I achieved so much more clarity in just a single session, and I would not hesitate to another if needed. Sara was super helpful and she took her time to listen to our case-specific problems and answered all of them in-depth. We were provided with information on starting a business, courses that we could do to enhance our knowledge of vineyards and olive farms. The Expat in Croatia site has been the best resource we have found for applying for the Digital Nomad residency. My ongoing experience was great, I was treated very well with Saras contact and got all my questions answered and solved. Not only did she confirm the information I had as valid, but she alerted me to some important lacunae in my preparation for applying for residency. Nonetheless, questions always ariseand for the answers, I would more than strongly suggest contacting her for a consultation. Will definitely recommend contacting her to my Friends if they plan to move to Croatia as well :). Thank you so much. When I needed help, it seemed like everyone was out of the office, or on a business trip, except for the wonderful people here. Home > Food & Drink > Drink > The tale of rakija Croatias legendary liqueur. I highly recommend reaching out and scheduling a session if you're another one of us who has fallen in love with Croatia and wants to make it your home. Both Sara and Lucija were amazing to work with on every level. This should relax the muscles. Sara and I had a video chat regarding property my father left to my children. The support I've received from Sara and the expat team has been very comforting and reassuring for me. She genuinely wants people to succeed and will nut out ways to make this a foreseeable possibility. Sara and her team always follow up to confirm I was taken care of by these professionals which gives me great confidence in their network and vetting process. I cannot recommend the service too highly. Sara provided expert consulting to me over a video call. In just one conversation, Sara provided us with a wealth of knowledge and insight that greatly helped us understand the intricacies of establishing residency in Croatia. Thank you Sara and Team. She has assembled an awesome team of professionals to help with every step of the way. Vintage Alcohol set, Liquor/Vodka/Rakia Bottle cup SET, ceramic set ad vertisement by vintageandartltd Ad from shop vintageandartltd vintageandartltd From shop vintageandartltd. This liqueur is usually sweetened and flavored with various botanicals such as cinnamon, cloves, star anise, lemon, vanilla, or fennel. The most appreciated herbs are the ones that grow in Lika, Gorski kotar, along the Adriatic coast, and on the mountain of Velebit. Ivona was very helpful explaining the hurdles involved and she was able to procure an OIB for me, an important first step. Moreover, Sara provided very valuable suggestions that I wasn't even expecting and sent me a follow up email containing important information for my next steps. The ultimate goal was to find a home or apartment complex that was centrally located, affordable and met all of my fianc's needs. Where to get Rakija (Serbian Liquor) in states? : r/alcohol - Reddit Daniel. Go to shop. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Sara took the time to answer every single question that I asked her with exceptional detail. [2] Other fruits but less commonly used are peaches, apples, figs, blackberries, and quince. I am so pleased to have this working relationship with Expat in Croatia!! The only reason why I have not rated the interaction 'Above and beyond expectations' is because my expectations were very high, due to the website being so complete and done so well, and to her colleague Teri being so professional while setting up the appointment. So if you are looking for help, check Sara and her services out TODAY! I can't recommend Expat in Croatia highly enough if you are thinking of travelling to Croatia. Sara listened to what the problem I was trying to solve, had a couple of ideas and then followed up by introducing me to a lawyer and realtor. Submitting my application for citizenship with the consulate was so easy. I needed help with the application for residency for myself and my daughter. Being Croatian/American and living full time in the US its very difficult to navigate the laws and requirements in Croatia. I could not recommend this service enough! In Romania and Moldova, the related word rachiu or rachie is used to refer to a similar alcoholic beverage as these neighboring countries, often a strong fruit-based spirit, usually from grapes. Lucija Peric took me through the steps of gaining my temporary residency, a path fraught with pitfalls to the unsuspecting.