An archaeological study has recently discovered fragments of an 11th-century rakia distillation vessel in Bulgaria, therefore some historians concluded that that was where rakia originated from. And that was precisely where I was going. Coincidentally, just one day prior to my visit, I had met a Bulgarian guy living in Madrid. He said it was a must-try, but also warned that I should exercise caution, because the alcohol content could be as high as 70%. Plus, because it's usually served in a shooter glass, people tend to assume that it has to be downed in one shot, when the correct way is to sip it slowly as an accompaniment to dinner.
I had my first taste of the liquor on a pub crawl tour that I joined in Sofia. We were taken to 5 bars during the course of the night, and one of them served rakia. It was an exclusive jazz bar and was fancier than the other bars we visited. I assume it catered to a wealthier clientele too. The rakia reminded me of tequila, but way stronger, although our guide insisted that it was only 40% alcohol. With tequila and other liquors, I could take them neat without as much as a wince, but with rakia, I totally failed.
The pictures below are not very clear because we were not allowed to use flash photography in the bar. I remember when I visited zoos and pet shops, flash was not permitted either, because it might startle the animals. I guess the same extra care must be taken when handling rich people. They are very fragile beings.
