🥃 Medovača
Medovača is the name of a honey spirit from Croatia, Serbia and neighbouring Balkan countries: most often rakia sweetened with honey, sometimes a distillate of fermented honey. EU law gives it no protected name.
If you have come across a bottle of honey brandy from the Balkans, it is probably called medovača: the name of a honey spirit in Croatia, Serbia and neighbouring countries. Most often it means rakia sweetened with honey, for example plum brandy with meadow honey. The Serbian publication SeeSrpska describes another variant: a distillate of fermented honey and water, to which honey and propolis are added after distillation.
One name, different drinks. The Croatian producer Badel writes that in some regions medica is also called medovača or medovica: a liqueur made from acacia and chestnut honey, 24% ABV. A Slovenian outlet explains the difference: in Slovenia medica is fermented honey with water, like wine, while honey liqueur is honey mixed into fruit brandy with spices.
What EU law says. There is no separate protected EU name 'medovača'. If honey and sugars added to the distillate total at least 100 g/l, it is a liqueur of at least 15% ABV. If the drink is distilled from fermented honey wort, it is a honey spirit: at least 35% ABV, sweetened only with honey, up to 20 g/l. The legal category on the label shows what is in the bottle.
Relatives. Similar drinks exist across the region: the Greek rakomelo, a tsipouro with honey, and the Polish and Lithuanian krupnik, a liqueur of honey and spices. Medovača is usually based on rakia, most often plum. Badel suggests serving medica chilled, as an aperitif or digestif.
Why this matters to you. The word 'medovača' does not say what is inside: rakia with honey, a liqueur or a honey distillate. Look at the legal category and the % ABV, which varies from producer to producer. Honey does not make a drink lighter: it is still alcohol. According to the WHO, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | rakia (often plum) and honey; sometimes fermented honey |
|---|---|
| EU category | no separate category: liqueur (33) or honey spirit (11) depending on the recipe |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | varies by producer; Badel's Croatian medica is 24% ABV |
| Legal basis | no protected EU name; Reg. (EU) 2019/787 applies |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Medovača → kind of → 🍯 Honey spirit drinks → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Made from
- 🥃 Rakia, 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica)
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Digestif, 🌍 Balkans
- Part of
- 🍯 Honey spirit drinks
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Honey liqueur, 🥃 Rakomelo, 🥃 Krupnik, 🍯 Miód pitny, 🍯 Miód pitny
Frequently asked questions
What is medovača?
A Balkan name for a honey spirit: most often rakia (often plum brandy) sweetened with honey, sometimes a distillate of fermented honey.
Is medovača the same as mead?
No. Mead is fermented honey without distillation, while medovača contains a distillate: rakia or distilled honey wort.
Is medovača a liqueur or a honey spirit under EU rules?
Often a liqueur: if honey and sugars from 100 g/l are added to rakia, EU law classes it as a liqueur of at least 15% ABV. A distillate of fermented honey is a separate honey spirit category, at least 35% ABV.
What ABV is medovača?
It depends on the producer: Badel's Croatian medica is 24% ABV, while rakia with honey is usually stronger. Check the label.
Is 'medovača' a protected name?
No. The EU list of protected spirit drink names does not include it, so each producer sets the recipe.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica) — Slivovitz (šljivovica) is a fruit spirit distilled from fermented plums: in the EU at least 37.5% ABV, with no added alcohol or flavourings. Serbian šljivovica is on UNESCO's list.
- 🥃 Digestif — The after-dinner drink: a small serving of brandy, calvados, grappa, amaro or liqueur at the end of a meal; French digestif, Italian digestivo. A serving custom, not an EU category on the label.
- 🍯 Miód pitny — Miód pitny, or mead, is a drink made by fermenting honey with water. Four Polish types (czwórniak, trójniak, dwójniak and półtorak) have been EU traditional specialities since 2008. It is not distilled.
Similar
🥃 Rakomelo · 🥃 Jabukovača · 🥃 Kajsijevača · 🥃 Dunjevača · 🥃 Horincă · 🥃 Țuică
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- SeeSrpska: Medovača, medovina i medica — znate li razliku (11.05.2025): medovača as honey brandy / honey liqueur from redistilled fermented honey (72 days of fermentation, honey and propolis added after distillation); medovina — honey wine; medica — fruit brandy with natural honey
- Badel 1862: Badel Medica — traditional Croatian liqueur, in some regions called medenica, medovača or medovica; acacia and chestnut honey; 24 % vol.; served chilled as aperitif or digestif
- 24ur.com: Kaj je medica in zakaj ni isto kot medeni liker — medica is fermented honey, water and yeast (about 10–15 % alcohol); honey liqueur is honey mixed into fruit brandy with spices (sponsored content)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 11 honey spirit (min. 35 %, sweetened only with honey, up to 20 g/l), cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 %, sugar from 100 g/l)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): list of EU geographical indications of spirit drinks — no entry 'medovača'
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)