Because the two ingredients needed for alcoholic fermentation, yeasts and sugars, are widespread and always occur together, civilizations in almost all parts of the world developed some form of alcoholic beverage very early in their history.
Thus, 13,000 years remains of beer were found in Israel, and traces of rice fermented alcohol in China dates back to the 8th century BC.
And so through the centuries and civilizations, thanks to the Arabs who invented alambic boilers, people began to distill the two ingredients from the beginning of the story.
The brandy began to be distilled in France around year 1300, but it was only prepared as a medicine and was considered to have such wonderful health powers that doctors called it "the water of life" (l'eau de vie), and it still has this name. The Scandinavians also made their "brandy" first from wine and gave it the name of the same meaning "aquavit".
Soon the distillation process spread across Europe, there were planty of fruits and other raw materials, and today well-known top alcoholic beverages typical of certain areas were created, for example French Armagnac and Cognac from wine from the area, Calvados from apples, Italian grappa from the pomace of the grapes, and in our region it was rakija. Rakija is most commonly baked from fermented fruits (eg plum, William, etc.), by double distillation in hand-hammered copper boilers and gives the best flavor at 40-45% by volume of alcohol.
It is consumed often, both as an aperitif and as a digestive, it is chosen in special life events, almost every house has it. From now on, ours as well:-) Enjoy!