In 2023, the production of strong alcoholic beverages in Serbia reached 36.2 million liters, marking a 2.5% increase compared to the previous year and a 61% rise from 2017, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Additionally, registration of producers under the new Law on Strong Alcoholic Beverages has commenced.
The majority of production is fruit brandy, totaling 27.1 million liters, with plum brandy being the dominant variety. Other types of strong alcoholic beverages, such as vinjak, herbal liqueurs, gin, and others, made up 9.1 million liters of the total production. Aleksandar Bogunović, the secretary of the Association for Plant Production and Food Industry of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, highlighted that aside from registered entrepreneurs and legal entities, there are numerous individual producers in Serbia who continue the centuries-old tradition of making brandy for personal use.
“Almost every household in rural areas has an orchard, and the fruit is mostly processed into brandy, Serbia’s most commercially successful fruit product. With production for personal use included, the total production of brandy is approximately 50 million liters, with the highest production concentrated in the Rasin, Šumadija, Moravički and Zlatibor regions,” Bogunović said.
Data from the Union of Brandy Producers of Serbia reveals that plum brandy makes up 60% of the total production, followed by quince at 15%, apricot and pear at 10% each, and other fruit brandies at 5%.
Regarding exports, Serbia’s strong alcoholic beverages saw a 30.2% increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, fruit brandy exports decreased by 1.1%. The five leading markets for Serbian fruit brandy exports in 2023 were Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, and the USA, accounting for 63.5% of total exports. There was also significant export growth to Slovenia, North Macedonia, and the Czech Republic, and new markets such as Congo and Iceland emerged. In the first nine months of 2024, fruit brandy exports rose by 16.3%, valued at 11.3 million euros.
The Serbian Chamber of Commerce believes that Serbia’s long-standing fruit brandy production, the increasing number of registered producers, and rising export quality present a great opportunity to promote Serbian brandy globally.
On the wine front, Serbia’s average annual production is around 30 million liters, with consumption relatively low at 14 liters per person. In 2023, Serbia exported wines worth 22 million euros, but imports were significantly higher, totaling 43 million euros, resulting in a negative foreign trade balance in wine. Most of Serbia’s wine trade takes place within the CEFTA market, though imports from the European Union still make up about 50% of the total wine import. Serbia exported over 18% of its wine to the EU in 2023, roughly the same as the previous year.
Russia emerged as a significant market for Serbian wine, with exports valued at 8 million euros in 2023. Other key markets included Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. As for flavored wines, exports showed a significant increase in 2023, continuing the trend seen in previous years, with the European Union remaining the dominant importer of these products.
