Zaplet Wins the Audience Award at Petram Resort

Savudrija, Croatia

Zaplet rakia from Cherry Hill distillery won the Audience Award for Best Spirit at this year’s Wine & Spirit Festival, held at the exclusive Petram Resort in Savudrija. Chosen by festival visitors themselves, the distinction is one of the most meaningful forms of recognition: it comes directly from the people for whom fine spirits are made.

The festival welcomed renowned wineries and distilleries from across the region, alongside wine and spirits enthusiasts, sommeliers, hospitality professionals and gastronomic experts. Among an exceptional range of labels, Zaplet received the highest number of audience votes for its authentic character, expressive ripe-fruit aroma and elegant, lingering finish.

The award is further proof that exceptional quality is recognised across borders. It is especially valuable to the Cherry Hill team because it was decided through the immediate experience of tasting.

‘The most meaningful recognition comes from people who taste what you make, connect with it and want to return to it. That is why this award matters so much to us. It shows that dedication to every detail — from the orchard, through distillation and maturation, to the moment the rakia reaches the glass — can truly be felt,’ the Cherry Hill team said.

Zaplet has built a distinctive identity around quality, authenticity and a thoughtful culture of enjoying rakia. Every bottle begins with carefully selected fruit and brings together traditional craft and modern technology, with the aim of making each tasting a new experience and a new story.

The Audience Award at Petram Resort is another international recognition of Serbian rakia’s growing place in regional and European gastronomy. For Zaplet, it is more than the success of a single product: it is a sign that rakia, Serbia’s national spirit, belongs on the world map of fine distillates.

With each new distinction, Zaplet continues its story — one in which tradition meets a contemporary spirit, people come together and memorable experiences take shape.