Are you a fan of westerns? Does the scene in the saloon with whisky being shot down have you salivating? Well then this is the review for you – Croatian firewater. Rakija is the generic name for the huge variety of fruit and herb brandies, (although just about anything can, and has been, forced through a still), that can be found in every single Croatian home, bar, restaurant or what have you. The best Rakija is homemade – often in the villages, one person will own a still and share the produced booze with the fruit growers. Naturally all social occasions surround the beloved liquid, whose strength is capable of inducing more winces than a GW speech at a Greenpeace meeting. Arriving in most homes as a guest will involve you and this beast raising a toast. It is also claimed to be good as an aperitif and even better as a digestive – burning a hole through all that fodder you just wolfed down. Strains particular to Croatia include Travarice, which is made from aromatic grasses and kirsch made from Maraschino cherries.