Montenegro: Grape Rakija on the Coast, Plum in the Mountains

Montenegro’s rakija production is the smallest of the countries covered here, and splits along the same geographic line as its wine: grape spirit in the south around Podgorica and the coast, plum in the northern mountains.

As with Montenegro’s wine sector, the commercial picture is dominated by a single large producer, which means the more interesting small-scale material is almost entirely informal — a coastal konoba or a northern village household is the realistic route to it.

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Loza, the grape rakija made from the Vranac and Krstač material that dominates the Ćemovsko Polje vineyard, is the national default — Plantaže’s Montenegrin Loza is the widely distributed commercial version, clean and dry around 40–43%.

Travarica — loza infused with wild herbs such as sage, rosemary, rue, St John’s wort and juniper, varying by household and by stretch of coast — is shared with the Croatian Adriatic, though the Montenegrin coastal version tends to run drier and more sharply herbal.

Native Spirits

Grape-Based

  • Loza / Lozova Rakija [A–B] — Grape rakija and the national default, made from the Vranac and Krstač material that dominates the Ćemovsko Polje vineyard. Plantaže’s Montenegrin Loza is the widely distributed commercial version, clean and dry around 40–43%.
  • Komovica [B–C] — The pomace version of loza, sharper and more rustic than the whole-grape spirit — made by small producers and households.

Infused & Flavoured

  • Travarica [B] — Loza infused with wild herbs — typically sage, rosemary, rue, St John’s wort, juniper and sometimes carob, varying by household and stretch of coast. Shared with the Croatian Adriatic; the Montenegrin coastal version tends to be drier and more sharply herbal.

Also Found (Not Individually Paged)

  • Šljivovica [C] — Plum rakija from the northern highlands around Kolašin, Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje — culturally continuous with the Serbian and Bosnian traditions rather than the coastal grape culture.
  • Kruškovača, dunjevača, medovača (pear, quince, honey-infused) [C–D] — Made at household scale.

Specialty Spirits

Worth being direct about: Montenegro has no distinctive national liqueur and no brandy house of its own standing. The categories it participates in belong to its neighbours.

Also Found (Not Individually Paged)

  • Pelinkovac [C] — Popular in Montenegro as across the region — Croatian and Serbian brands dominate.
  • Medovina (honey mead) [C] — Made at small scale, mostly in the north.
  • Brandy [B] — Plantaže produces aged grape spirit alongside its loza. Domestic, without a brand identity of its own.

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