Аpricot distillate

The apricot distillate counts for 50-60% of our total production. We buy and process more than 1 million kg apricots a year. We maintain long-standing relationships with all the bigger and smaller apricot producers in Northeastern Bulgaria starting from the village of Tsar Samuil through the village of Iskra and reaching the village of Prof. Ishirkovo. Bulgarian apricot orchards are planted with several different varieties. We strive to buy as much as possible “Hungarian” variety of apricots – they are juicy, aromatic and with high sugar content.

When the fruit arrives at the Distillery, the first thing to do is taking-out the stones from fruits and mashing. The fruit mash, depending on its temperature, can pass through a cooling heat exchanger to lower the temperature or go directly into a fermentation tanker. Fermentation spontaneously starts with wild yeast and lasts for about a week. It is led by water cooling in stainless fermentors.

We take out the “heart” during distillation at about 75% alc. Then follows a period of ripening and stabilization of the distillate in stainless steel vessels in dark rooms. After a few months' stay, the egalised distillate is ready for export or dilution with softened water to produce smooth and aromatic Apricot rakia Isperih.