Bosnia-Herzegovina is a country in the east of southern Europe, formed after the collapse of Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Together, Bosnia and Herzegovina formed one of the six federal units that made up the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia.
Bosnia-Herzegovina (which is also referred to as Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply Bosnia) does not produce a significant quantity of wine, although it does have a few thousand acres of productive vineyards. These are located mostly in the lower-lying areas between the Adriatic coast and Mostar, the largest city in Herzegovina. They are planted predominantly with Zilavka, a light-skinned variety noted for its high potential alcohol and acidity. These two qualities are well suited to distilled beverages, so alongside a significant quantity of brandy, the area also produces ioza, a clear brandy spirit similar in style to Italy's grappa.
Other than grape-based alcoholic beverages, Bosnia-Herzegovina's enterprising brewers, distillers and small-scale winemakers use various orchard fruits (cherries, apples and plums are most common) to make drinks in a range of styles: sweet and dry, weak and strongly alcoholic. Cherry brandies unify the nation's grapes and orchard fruits and are one of the few beverages to be exported in any quantity.
Beer is also made in several parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, most notably in the capital, Sarajevo, where the Sarajevska Pivara brewery has been located since 1864.
