Rakia (also known as 'rakija' or 'raki'), which has its origins in Persia, is a strong alcoholic drink, popular throughout the Balkans. It is usually produced by distilling various types of fermented fruits. Krassimir Koev, the executive director of the Agency for Vineyards and Wine at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Agriculture, stressed that, for grape rakia to become a PDO, it will have to be shown that it is made in Bulgaria and is made from grapes, not wheat distillate. This may be a problem since, at present, according to Bulgaria’s minister of agriculture, Miroslav Naydenov, a large quantity of Bulgarian rakia is not made of grapes, but of wheat.

During the negotiations for accession to the European Union, Bulgaria made several unsuccessful attempts to protect rakia at Community level as a unique technological product. However, this is the first time that Bulgaria has sought to protect grape rakia as a traditional, national drink. The registration procedure is expected to last for one year.

Bulgaria has 14 brands of rakia. By registering rakia as a PDO, Bulgaria aims to reduce the tax on alcoholic drinks, and rakia in particular. The excise tax for a hectolitre of alcoholic beverage amounts to approximately €562 ($792).

Source: article for World Trademark Review by Iana Roueva, PETOŠEVIC, Sofia