When two are doing the same, it’s not the same. This is an old and well acknowledged truth. But would you believe the saying ‘If one does the same thing, it’s not the same‘? We have a proof about its accuracy. Exclusively for Bartida, Milan Metelka developed a unique series of beverages called Bartida Original which some of them are very close to Metelka liqueurs. However, if you think the liquid content would be the same as in the Metelka’s bottles, you will be deeply mistaken. All recipes of premium Czech liqueurs carry the Metelka’s significant style but they are absolutely original as their name suggests.
Petr Dzurec and Miroslav Zoul are founders of Bartida and they invited Milan Metelka to collaboration twelve years ago. ‘We were looking for a producer of a Czech high-quality absinthe and got a recommendation for Mr. Metelka. After we tasted his products, we were absolutely sure in our choice,‘ recalls Petr Dzurec. The first drink of Bartida Original series was an absinthe. Nowadays, the series has thirteen kinds of liqueurs and spirits, and about one hundred thousand bottles are shipped to various shops.
However, the Bartida’s portfolio didn’t expand at the same time. ‘It was a gradual process, in which we responded to customers requirements,‘ adds Milan Metelka. The second product was a peppermint liqueur called ‘the green‘ and Petr Dzurec thinks it’s still hugely popular. ‘We were able to reach out to those who drank the green liqueur years ago and they could drink it again,’ explains the manager of the company which is based on flexibility and ability to work with not so popular alcoholic beverages among people. ‘The best example is that we were at the beginning of the popularity of rums in the Czech Republic. We managed to create a new brand of Cuban rum Legendario which belongs to the biggest brands of rum in our country now,’ said Petr Dzurec.
The good old peppermint liqueur is not the only traditional product that Bartida offers. There are also griotte, bitters, devil (čert), or slivovitz, pear and peach brandy, calvados or the extraordinary elderberry brandy. It might look like the brands can compete with each other but Milan Metelka doesn’t think so. ‘Our cooperation is based mainly on an unrivalled range of products. And if happens that our products such as tuzemák or eggnog match, we know that every brand targets to a different audience,’ he says. ‘Bartida prefers quality instead of price. Mostly, I use ingredients of the highest quality and customers are ready to pay a few more crowns,’ adds Milan Metelka.
The processes and the ratio of ingredients have slightly changed over the period. ‘It’s always happened only for professional reasons. Bartida directly sticks to precise sensory features such as flavour, aroma, and colour of each product,’ explains the sought-after liqueur maker who is grateful to collaborate on making traditional liqueurs and spirits. ‘I’ve been introduced to the highest spheres of Czech gastronomy. The best raw materials and proven recipes have become the solid foundations for creating products that can be compared with the rest of the world. I can work with the best ingredients on the market and I’m allowed to maintain unusual long maceration and aging,’ Milan Metelka highlights the quality of the Bartida Original series.
Thanks to the unchangeable features of the beverages, it’s easy for Petr Dzurec to tell which drink he likes the most. ‘It’s definitely Bartida Vejčňák (eggnog). It’s a unique product that doesn’t have a rival in the Czech Republic thanks to its high content of egg yolks,‘ he says. And the author of the beverages likes Bitter.
Even though Bartida Original is already completed, the cooperation of both companies will continue. ‘We prepare various limited editions of our liqueurs for a better communication with our customers,‘ says Petr Dzurec.
For more info visit www.bartidaoriginal.cz
