Flores ( sr-Cyrl, Флорес) is a Serbian company producing alcoholic beverages, mainly

rakija Rakia, Rakija, Rachiu or Raki (), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50%). Etymology Fruit sp ...

, with headquarters in

Divostin Divostin () is a village of the city of Kragujevac in the Šumadija district of Serbia. According to the 2011 census, there were 422 inhabitants. Over 100,000 Neolithic objects from Starčevo culture and Vinča culture were extracted in a number o ...

Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Serbia, and is situated on ...

. It was established in 1985. Its most renowned product is Žuta osa ("Yellow Wasp"), high-quality

slivovitz Slivovitz is a fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) made from damson plums, often referred to as plum spirit (or plum brandy). If anyone else has a dictionary of some Slavic language that translates your word for slivovitz as "plum brandy", please a ...

History

Flores was founded in 1985 by agricultural engineer Radiša Pljakić, based on his previous experience in company "Miloduh", producing

macerated Maceration is the process of preparing foods through the softening or breaking into pieces using a liquid. Raw, dried or preserved fruit or vegetables are soaked in a liquid to soften the food, or absorb the flavor of the liquid into the food. I ...

brandies, which he helped establish back in 1970 and made into one of the most renowned companies in the industry in former Yugoslavia. In 1979, Pljakić left the company and worked in several public agricultural institutions. In 1985, he decided to take an opportunity arising from new legal regulation, and started a private business solely on his own. On the family homestead in Divostin he established "Flores", one of the first private companies in Yugoslavia, and according to Pljakić, it was the very first. The company produces 100–150,000 bottles of liquor annually, over half of which is being exported to the United States, Australia and elsewhere in the world. Its most renowned brand, ''Žuta osa'' (Yellow Wasp), a natural slivovitz 45 abv, has won 13 gold medals in exhibitions and fairs across the world. "Žuta osa superior", aged 8 years in oak barrels, is produced in smaller series at higher prices. Other liquors by the company include "Bela osa" (White Wasp), "Srpska Loza" (

pomace brandy Pomace spirit (or pomace brandy) is a liquor distilled from pomace that is left over from winemaking, after the grapes are pressed. It is called marc in both English and French, but " grappa" in Italian and "bagaço" in Portuguese. In Spanish it ...

) and "Lincura" (''

Gentiana ''Gentiana'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family (Gentianaceae), the tribe Gentianeae, and the monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species it is considered a large genus. They are notable for their mostl ...

'' macerated in slivovitz). Miomir Pljakić took over the company once his father retired. "Flores" operates from a plant in Divostin equipped with a modern processing and packaging plant and quality-control laboratory, while the aging cellar is placed in the nearby village of Kamenica.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1985 establishments in Serbia Companies based in Kragujevac Drink companies of Serbia Food and drink companies established in 1985 Serbian brands