I bought this 12 years ago from Belgrade/Kalemegdan. Is it safe to consume?

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dr_prdx@reddit

I don’t know but Kasap means Butcher in Turkish (Ottoman).

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from_the_east@reddit

You're thinking of anti-freeze, to which vodka is the antidote.

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No, he is right, ethanol helps with methanol poisoning, by competitively binding the enzyme which would break down methanol into the very toxic formic acid, buying time for the body to excrete methanol trough urine and lungs (respiration).

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Ecstatic_Shop7098@reddit

The body can also handle small doses of methanol. It's after all, a natural product of fermentation.

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Ka_Trewq@reddit

"Small doses" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. As little as 4 mL of methanol is reported to do permanent irreversible damage to the optic nerve (a.k.a. blindness), while the LD50 dose for humans is around 56 g.

Natural occurring methanol due to fermentation compete with ethanol, which is his antidote, so usually is not an issue. Also, experienced distillers know to throw away the first 50-100 mL, as the methanol is most concentrated in there. They also know to select the source material for fermentation if they want to distill it to high grade alcohol, to further reduce the naturally occurring methanol.

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Ecstatic_Shop7098@reddit

Yes, I was thinking small doses in the context of it being already mixed with a lot of ethanol.

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Drindafin@reddit

I can confirm you are right because there is a house episode on this

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waudi@reddit

Guess whats in antifreeze... And then guess what's in vodka...

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biggreasyrhinos@reddit

Antifreeze is ethylene glycol AKA ethene glycol.

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vbd71@reddit

It's an antidote to both.

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JustANorseMan@reddit

No he is thinking of methanol. Problem is, ehtanol is not exactly an antidote to it, it just rather buys you time to get treatment in case of methanol poisoning

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cokywanderer@reddit

Methanol poisoning in homemade drinks is a myth. Started in America during the prohibition when people would purposefully put industrial methanol into spirits so that they could sell more volume.

Normal fermentation and distillation DO NOT produce any DANGEROUS levels of Methanol. You would have to drink so much of it that you would die from alcohol poisoning way before methanol would poison you. And btw: Ethanol is a "cure" for methanol poisoning :))

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chouettepologne@reddit

There have been official methanol poisonings in Poland. Although they were related to sales non-drinkables as drinkables rather than bad destillation.

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Used-Cause6417@reddit

It is not a myth bro, I've heard about people getting methanol poisoning because they drank the first batch out of the distillery

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CardboardFire@reddit

Not really true; when you bake rakija, first few glasses are always thrown away, as it's mostly methanol which has a lower boiling point than ethanol, thus being distilled before ethanol comes over.

People went blind and died from methanol poisoning, it's no joke.

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cokywanderer@reddit

That's the myth. Methanol continues all throughout the run (yes, lower towards the tails). The first glasses you throw away because of bad taste/smell. They are Heads.

I'm not saying methanol isn't present, I'm just saying that it isn't a threat. NOBODY has died from a distilled drink that hasn't been tampered with (regarding methanol, of course).

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CardboardFire@reddit

My cousin ended up in a 3 day coma for mistaking a bottle of 'heads' meant for cleaning for drinkable spirit. Sure was enough methanol in it to cause him harm. He did fully recover tho.

Grandmas brother supposedly went blind and died shortly after drinking freshly distilled spirit, no way to really confirm that as it was in 1940s and they had virtually no access to a real doctor at the time.

I know of several other stories telling a similar tale. So yeah...

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cokywanderer@reddit

Did the official diagnostic say "Methanol poisoning"? Because that's just plain Ethanol (and lots of it as heads tend to be 75-85 ABV).

Then grandma's grandma's brother: it depends if he drank straight from the still and if the liquid was blue. Because that's copper patina that can cause reactions. And it has nothing to do with methanol and everything to do with improper cleaning of the still and cooling spiral (with acid) - a practice that I assume people didn't do in the 1940s

That's just my 2 cents on the matter. Of course I don't exactly know.

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CardboardFire@reddit

For my cousin, yeah, officially called methanol poisoning (his parents brought the bottle to er, as no one was really sure what exact contents were, just that it was what came out of the still first), gave him ethanol and pumped his stomach and rinsed it several times which stabilized him, he woke up 2-3 days later and was apparently fine.

For the other case, can't really say for sure, buth the consensus seem to be that he died from methanol poisoning as all evidence seemed to point that way and it wasn't unheard of back then. No way to check now unfortunately as hearsay is not credible evidence.

In any case, it's more than enough for me to not drink methanol or potentially methanol contaminated drinks, and it's easy enough to discard the first portion from the still just by watching the temperature.

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cokywanderer@reddit

it's easy enough to discard the first portion from the still just by watching the temperature.

Sure, but you're not doing it to get rid of methanol. That's another mith. What you're cutting there is acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate and the main reason isn't poisoning (because they're not poison at that dose) it's Taste. They just taste and smell like paint thinner/acetone and would ruin an otherwise great drink. They're also responsible for nastier headaches/hangovers than a properly cut drink.

Methanol on the other hand continues all throughout the run. You can't separate it by temperature because methanol is highly soluble in water, it will distil over more at the end of distillations when vapours are richer in water. That means, methanol will appear in almost equal concentration in almost all fractions of pot still distillation.

Another factor is the fermentation process. Just like a wine made from grapes that's not distilled (aka has all the methanol still in it) you can get nastier headaches from some wines and milder from others. That's because the fermentation was cared for, the yeast was happy and not stressed to release nasty byproducts.

I still don't know why we're in 2026 and still talking about this friend and my dad's friend and what hillbillies say when we have modern technology and research that can determine the exact contents and dangers. There are studies. You should be more concerned with the source of the copper (how clean the still was) and if soldering containing lead was used. That's the danger with homemade backyard stuff, not the fermentation/distillation because that's basic chemistry.

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CardboardFire@reddit

Ahh, look, I'm not a chemist, and apparently don't have enough information to discuss further. You might be wrong or right, but you sure do sound convincing lol. Can't really do a deep dive on the topic rn, but will definitely check later to see who was closer to truth

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cokywanderer@reddit

Even from personal experiments I could tell the difference between something fermented and distilled right and something that was wrong. The right stuff yielded me very-very little undesirable heads. I'm also fascinated by the subject.

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lnguline@reddit

That’s not really accurate — it’s not a myth, it’s just often misunderstood. Any experienced distiller knows that methanol is absolutely present, but the key is in proper separation (cuts) during distillation. Methanol boils at about 64.7 °C, while ethanol boils at 78.4 °C. During a proper run, the first fractions that come off (the foreshots) are enriched with low-boiling compounds like methanol, acetone, etc. If you’re watching the thermometer, you’ll see the transition as the temperature rises toward the ethanol range. Those early fractions are not drinkable and should be discarded or used only for wounds. So the danger isn’t “homemade alcohol” per se — it’s poor distillation practices. As for ethanol being an antidote — that part is actually true, but simplified. The real issue is that methanol itself isn’t the most toxic part; it’s metabolized into formaldehyde and formic acid, which are highly toxic (especially to the optic nerve). Ethanol competes for the same enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase), so if enough ethanol is present, the body preferentially metabolizes ethanol and slows down methanol conversion. That gives the body time to eliminate methanol largely unchanged. So yeah — not a myth, just a matter of knowing what you’re doing vs. not.

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cokywanderer@reddit

Also, the boiling points don't matter that much because it's hard to separate.

The solubility of methanol in water is the major factor rather than its boiling point. As methanol is highly soluble in water, it will distil over more at the end of distillations when vapours are richer in water. That means, methanol will appear in almost equal concentration in almost all fractions of pot still distillation.

Acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate are the ones you want to cut out as they taste bad (but again aren't dangerous in the mixture). They are also responsible for more intense hangovers rather than a properly cut drink that results in milder hangovers.

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cokywanderer@reddit

The myth would be the blinding and dying part from a homemade distilate. As long as it's not altered, you're fine. And if it has Heads in it (aka not properly cut) you wouldn't want to drink it anyway. Not because it's dangerous, but because it smells and tastes like paint thinner/acetone.

You do understand that I never said Methanol isn't present in the final product at all, just that it is below any danger levels to be concerned about.

Also, another good practice is fermentation (which not everyone does by the book) so you end up with stressed yeast (even wild yeast) that releases more methanol and unwanted compounds. Again, not something that would rise above danger levels, but something that makes it harder to do proper cuts (more nasty heads) and ultimately makes it a sub-par drink when it comes to taste.

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mrbadger30@reddit

99% sure yes

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Unable-Stay-6478@reddit

48° sure yes

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devoker35@reddit

After 12 years, it should be around 35-40°

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Anxious_Ring_1774@reddit

=))))))))) awesomeness

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YouAreStupidAF1@reddit

When I saw this, the first thing I thought was, "My brother in Christ, half of that is alcohol, it's NEVER going bad"

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Cruluz@reddit

Mother would say it was safe when u were a minor coz you would have never dared to smell let alone try it... Yes with the look

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Healthy_Toe_1183@reddit

If you are going to drink it all in one go make sure you write your testament beforehand

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gushi1-@reddit

Grape Raki is Superior Brandy.

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Orvvadasz@reddit

If you are unsure you can buy commercial methanol test strips and test it.

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DotYeg@reddit

It's plum brandy, or a plum-brandy derived engine degreaser.

It's theoretically made by fermenting plums or plum juice, and distilling the "wine".

By most accounts, it tastes terrible to begin with. Though there are a select few rare testimonies that in the 70's and earlier these types of products were of drinkable quality. Pleasant even.

The bottle is marked ".5L" and 48°, indicating 500ml or roughly 16.9 oz bottle with a potency of 48% ABV or about 98 proof.

The upshot is that while it may never have been "good", the high alcohol content ensures it will never get "worse".

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Used-Cause6417@reddit

you must not be from the balkans, then

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DotYeg@reddit

I suppose the implication is that you are from the Balkans, and therefore enjoy the taste of this type of product.

Well, educate me then. How does one corectly cosume this brandy, and what features or flavour profiles distinguish a quality product from a questionable home-made distilate?

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Waste_Wait_3678@reddit

Horrible drink, be ready for headaches and severe ahangover

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toastsonegg@reddit

R/Lastimages

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Megatr0n83@reddit

Is this westerners version of rage bait? 😆 🤣 rakija will last beyond when the last star dies or from our sky.

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Touboflon@reddit

What exactly is this ? Im greek

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True-Blacksmith4235@reddit

Rakija

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EagleBear666@reddit

No. Hard licker only holds for 2 weeks. Must be drunken as fast as possible

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Miiirx@reddit

If your not sure , don't spill it, send it to me

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optionstrategy@reddit

Given we can't see the bottle cap, this is probably no longer good, but taste it and if it smells off like other chemicals, dump it.

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Used-Cause6417@reddit

it says on the bottle that it's good forever

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optionstrategy@reddit

Oh ok then, I will trust whatever they said. Not.

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MadGab00@reddit

All I am gonna say is... I wish I had that bottle.

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Timely_Fee4348@reddit

Safe for you, but not for the ones around you. People usually think they are Superman after they drink it.

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Used-Cause6417@reddit

I've never understood people who have those effects when drunk. I stay the exact same. At most I want to fuck more than usual.

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Sea_Bite2082@reddit

РОК УПОТРЕБЕ НЕОГРАНИЧЕН = no expiration date.

So, safe. And 100years after too.

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RaulRene@reddit

Will be safe to drink in 250 years after the nuclear annihilation of humanity

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aleksandri_reddit@reddit

The nuclear fallout will add to its flavor

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AdSignificant6748@reddit

Just have to fight the cockroaches for it

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Ambitious_Pay_4171@reddit

Radroaches*

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Used-Cause6417@reddit

and the giant mantises

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alex_zk@reddit

There are two schools of thought here. One believes it was never safe to consume to begin with. The other believes it will be safe even after the Heat Death of the universe.

There’s no middle ground and only one way to find out.

Good luck.

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mahboilucas@reddit

I bought something like this when I was a teen and discovered it at 23. Drank with friends and we all swear it just made us immune to all the fucking germs in the world for a year because they all got killed when in contact with that in our system

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terra_filius@reddit

and then there are those who believe its unsafe living life without consuming it

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Ordinary_Ad5862@reddit

My motto is life is dangerous to your health. When you're dead, nothing is dangerous anymore.

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CoconutBuddy@reddit

Came here to upvote this, then go about my day

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TehBuckets@reddit

Came here to say this

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non-protein_lifeform@reddit

Amen

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MrDilbert@reddit

It's not safe to consume all at once. But it does have a shelf-life till after the heat death of the universe.

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Glatzial@reddit

You can combine them with the statement - "it's safe as when it was bottled"

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BusterOfCherry@reddit

Yolo is the way

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pepette1@reddit

The best answer right there

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miksy_oo@reddit

It's S*rbian. It's never safe to consume.

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elsavic@reddit

The bottle reads that it has no expiration date. One way to find out!

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Outrageous-Ice-6775@reddit

Sure go ahead , remeber to tell us how it was

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Any_Replacement368@reddit

my friend, after tasting this balkanic slurp juice you will belive that EVERYTHING is safe to do with a lil bit of rakija!!

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Exciting_Safe_6182@reddit

48 percent safe it seems

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CataVlad21@reddit

I have a 12yo palinca around. It's fkin amazing tasting! I'd say even stronger and more noticeable plum aroma than when it was fresh. Dont see any reason that rakia would be any different.

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ya_pidoras_@reddit

only one way to find out, bottoms up

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Oxo181@reddit

As safe to consume as on the day it was produced. Which means not very safe

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Anxious_Ring_1774@reddit

"But i'm drunk , so ... "

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Petrak1s@reddit

It’s even better than the day you bought it. Probably would be more expensive after 12 years of sitting around. I have a friend, on the day he was born his father made 25 bottles of this rakia and buried it in the back yard. They dug it out 25 years later, for his weddingI have to tell you - this was the BEST drink I aver had!

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PavelKringa55@reddit

Normally you'd hold spirits in barrels and they suck flavor from the wood. Once you put it into a glass bottle, it won't get any flavor out of glass...

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Taki_26@reddit

That might be true but it can be a lot smoother, time takes the edges of

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HorrorsPersistSoDoI@reddit

Omg this seems to be a very popular ritual, heard it several times from different people

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kjanko@reddit

Would be true if it stayed that long in a barrel, else its just a placebo

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ciko2283@reddit

Its not wine lol

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cleaner007@reddit

It's the same for rakija, it needs to be stored in barrels or some dark place

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PavelKringa55@reddit

There is a lot of detail, wooden barrel or steel barrel with wooden chips, then it's important with the humidity and temperature gradients through the time. Spirits age much faster in humid, hot atmosphere. Some exotics age on boats.

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cleaner007@reddit

Yeah, but I also noticed that many people use Inox barrels lately here

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cokywanderer@reddit

It's not placebo. There's chemistry happening even without wood being present. I don't know about 12 years, but a white dog drink kept for at least a few months to a year definitely gets more refined.

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Princip1914@reddit

You are right and for the Balkan sub I am surprised at the amount of boozehounds (nay, aficionados) here.

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Petrak1s@reddit

Don’t feel like placebo at the end of the night… 😙👌

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okcomputerock@reddit

You don't know shet

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dave__autista@reddit

Rakija doesnt age in a bottle you fucking bozo

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lmanop@reddit

That's straight up poison. So yes, it's safe

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Substantial-One1934@reddit

Why doesn't it have a higher percentage of alcohol and no problem.

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andreidorutudose@reddit

48% alcohol has a very long shelf life. I would not concern myself

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pi_p_m_o@reddit

Well, the man's last name by which he named his spirit is derived from the Serbian word for "a butcher".

I'd never heard of this distillery, and if you bought it on the street it could be shoddy.

On the other hand, smell it. If it bites you with "alcohol" smell it's shit anyway. If not, take a little sip and let your judgement make a decision.

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pi_p_m_o@reddit

In case you were merelly asking about it's age, it's the same as it was on the day uou bought it.

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SituationRoyal6535@reddit

I have experience making Williams pear rakija in Slavonia and I'm familiar with traditional procedures. Methanol was never a concern for me because the first fraction during distillation, the one at lowest temperature, is the one containing most impurities including methanol and aldehydes. It has a sharp and unpleasant taste.

The drink you have in that bottle was produced during the middle fraction of the distillation process, hence the alcohol concentration (third fraction becomes more watery.) This is the best alcohol by volume because at higher concentration, rakija begins to lose flavor.

If it's too strong for you, drink it chilled and it's not a shame to enjoy it with a separate glass of cold water.

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johnanthony888@reddit

No, you will become a balkan bro as a side effect!

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Imaginary-Paint-9924@reddit

Merge o țuiculiță după postu ăsta.

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Legitimate-Put3491@reddit

It is not safe and likely dangerous. Send it to me immediately!

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Royal_Ad_621@reddit

Its good brate some would say its even better now including meself

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Majorman_86@reddit

My dad said it should be safe, but since it has been waiting in a casket for 12 years it must be from a bad batch/vintage. Nobody living in the Balkans has the discipline/patience to keep good booze in the cellar for 12 long years.

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vbd71@reddit

Unsafe drinks usually have no label like this

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buchar3st@reddit

Release the demons 😂

gif

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shadowdance55@reddit

Define "safe"...

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vbd71@reddit

Generally safe for the health, but adverse effects may apply, like headache the next morning, or liver cirrhosis if you drink like 5000 of these in the course of several years.

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