Bohorina - a spontaneous cider that represents Bosnia and Herzegovina on the European craft scene

Bohorina Cider House was created in the village of Borina above Kiseljak, on the foundations of old apple varieties and a family story deeply rooted in the history of the region. Behind the brand stands Julijan Komšić, who made the first experimental batch of cider quite by accident in 2017, out of curiosity and play, without any big plans.

- The idea to start cider production came about by chance, sometime in 2017, the first, experimental quantity was made, more out of curiosity and play, after which education began and experimentation continued for the next few years - says Komšić.

The basis for the development was the existing fruit story.

- We already had an orchard of old apple varieties planted in an extensive plantation, on lush grounds, without the use of conventional means, with a holistic approach - biologically, organically acceptable. Such an approach is the foundation for the production of craft, or as I prefer to say – spontaneous cider - he points out.

The name Bohorin is no accident. It was created in parallel with the research of the past of this region.

- The name itself comes from the medieval name of our village, and the logo is the family coat of arms of Pribinić, a noble family from the medieval Lepenica parish. It is located on the medieval tombstone of Knez Radoj, which together with the necropolis is protected as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The story of our brand is the story of our region - explains Komšić.

Bohorina cherishes the principles of organic fruit growing, permaculture and biodynamics, but, as he says, he does not perceive them as marketing terms.

- Organic fruit growing here means that we do not use fungicides and herbicides from conventional agriculture, but preparations that strengthen the immunity and resistance of fruit trees. Permaculture is the preservation of biodiversity and the use of its advantages, while biodynamics is the use of natural preparations - teas and macerates of nettle, horsetail, chamomile.

In practice, this means minimal interventions and maximum reliance on nature.

- We mow once or twice a year, tall grass breeds beneficial insects that are your tool to reduce the pest population. One ladybug can eat up to 100 aphids a day. We plant comfrey, we mulch the grass, we add compost that we make ourselves, we do not use fungicides due to the development of mycorrhizae. In short, much more patience and `do-it-yourself` solutions are needed - says Komšić, adding that their business "is not a story about quantity and growth, but about self-sufficiency".

Festivals bring quality confirmation

In recent years, Bohorina has become recognizable beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After participating in the cider fair in Ljubljana in 2022, and the Alterego festivals in Lovran and Grapeston in Ston, an invitation to the Evoluzione Naturale festival in Italy followed.

- The invitation is a logical continuation of what we have been doing on promotion for the past several years. Going to Italy gave us a wind at our backs, confirmation that we are on the right path, a handful of new acquaintances and an exchange of experiences - says Komšić.

Although they were the only exhibitor from BiH and the region, he points out that he does not perceive it as exclusivity: "We were ready to come, I believe that a lot of other producers received invitations."

Reactions from the audience and the profession were encouraging.

- Italy is not a country where craft cider is particularly consumed, but we are very pleasantly surprised by the positive comments and evaluations of the audience. We are especially happy with the reactions of the wine producers, because it is a wine festival, and we were the only exhibitors without grape wine.

The second day of the festival was dedicated to the B2B audience.

- We have also received the first inquiries, so we will see what the possibilities of export and distribution are. Until now, we have had no experience in exporting and we believe that it will not be a problem if everything is arranged - Komšić states.

They are already preparing for the first Middle-European Cider Salon in Pecs, Hungary.

Expanding the assortment, new ciders and gin

In the context of growing interest in natural wines and craft products, Bohorina sees room for further development.

- We hope that this trend will happen on our market as well, and we will build our recognition in that direction. We are already seeing that the audience perceives us as such.

When it comes to the plans, the focus is not on increasing the quantity, but on expanding the assortment.

- We do not have the ambition to expand our production capacity, but to expand our assortment. This year we will release interesting ciders, such as the co-fermentation of apple must and grapes - tudum.

In addition to cider, Bohorina already produces gin.

- We partly grow and harvest the ingredients ourselves, and part of them we procure from central Bosnia to the Neretva mouth.

At the end of the year, they plan the first quantities of cider distillate in oak barrels.

- The recipe we use is identical to calvados production. We are constantly experimenting with something, there are a lot of ideas and plans, and the year is short.

The gastronomic offer is limited to small group visits for the time being.

- We are planning certain changes, but we are not sure yet in which direction we will go - Komšić concludes.

Bohorina thus remains an example of a small, self-sustainable production that turns authenticity, local history and natural principles into a recognizable product - both on the domestic and international markets.

Senka Trivić

Bohorina Cider House

brand Bohorina

the village of Borina near Kiseljak

Julijan Komšić

cider production

organic fruit growing

gin production

gastronomic offer