ZGrappa, the brandy and liqueur festival, is back

This year Zgrappa will gather 40 distillers from Croatia, Serbia, Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina

On November 15 and 16, the second international brandy and liqueur festival ZGrappa powered by Bumbar will be held in the Zagreb club Peti kupe. Zgrappa will gather 40 distillers from Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina this year. They will present to the visitors of the festival, as well as restaurateurs and distributors, all the novelties in the production of brandy, as well as premium products, many of which have been awarded at prestigious international competitions.

In addition to tastings, expect lectures and workshops

In addition to tastings, a total of six lectures and workshops will be held during the two days of the festival, for which visitors do not need to register in advance. 'The new face of šljivovice', 'Why brandies from autochthonous fruit varieties are a world brand' – these are just some of the lectures that will be led by distiller Branko Nešić and video content creator Dejan Veljović , while the masterclass on Armagnacs by Janneau and Calvados by Boulard will be led by Cecile Lecerf .

The lecture "Specificities and characteristics of strong alcoholic beverages" will be held by Dario Grabarić , the first Croatian holder of the WSET Level 3 Awards in Spirits. He is also an expert advisor to ZGrappa, in cooperation with Professor Anto Lončarić from the Faculty of Food Technology in Osijek.

The festival takes place both days from 1 pm to 8 pm, and tickets can be purchased on the Entrio platform.

"This is the second year we are holding a festival of distillates, which was born out of the desire to bring brandy to a wider audience, not only as a national product but also as a brand that can compete with world drinks. Up to ten kilograms of fruit are needed for a liter of brandy, so it is in no way behind whiskeys, gins and, for example, vodkas. In Croatia, we need to build a culture of proper and moderate tasting," said Marin Levaj, festival organizer.

On the occasion of the premiere edition of ZGrappa last year, we talked with Levaj about what and how Croats drink . This year, you will find out first-hand the answers to all current questions, which was confirmed by Grabarić as one of the lecturers at this year's edition of the festival. Fun fact, his lecture last year was so successful that interested visitors didn't want to leave it even after three hours (3!) of it.

"Croatia has gone through its wine evolution, now it's the turn of brandies. We have a huge home market, great potential, but the emphasis must always be on education, both for producers and buyers. That's why we're all here together," Grabarić said.

And that's why every visitor will receive a large bottle of water along with the purchase of a ticket that guarantees unlimited (but responsible) consumption of drinks. Let's just mention at the end that ZGrappa is the only festival specialized in this traditional drink of ours, and if you are a fan, you shouldn't miss it.