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VASILIJE SENIĆ is born in the village of Viševac, the birthplace of Vožd Karađorđe, in 1929, Vasilije Senić worked in various fields both in Serbia and abroad. Yet, he always stayed true to folk traditions, crafting his own brandy.
In January 1953, he welcomed his son, Slobodan, and by autumn of that same year, planted his first orchard with native Serbian plum varieties—požegača and rankovača. He insisted on cultivating his plums without pesticides, ensuring every harvest was entirely organic.
When the plums matured, he purchased his first copper brandy still. Committed to tradition, he removed the stones from the plums during processing, ensuring fermentation occurred without them. His brandy aged exclusively in barrels made from century-old Serbian sessile oak, wood that had grown for generations on Serbian mountains.
In December 1978, my first grandson was born. That moment marked my decision to end my travels and return to Serbia for good. After having had my fill of French cognac, I made a choice based on a deep-seated desire: I wanted my grandson not to grow up French, enamored with cognac, but as a Serbian, devoted to šljivovica, the spirit my soul longed for.
In June 1981, my second grandson was born. That was when I ordered new barrels. Over the winter, more than 20 barrels arrived, made from sessile oak from the forests of Radan, Goč, Jastrebac, Stara Planina, and Homolje. In my cellar, century-old oaks from across Serbia came together. Grateful for the year’s bountiful harvest, I filled every vat and, with my eldest grandson on my knee, distilled dozens of copper stills full.
Years passed, orchards multiplied, friends, relatives, and godfathers gathered; there were toasts, celebrations, and a life woven with tradition and good spirits…
By 1993, I had decided it was time for retirement. This “retirement” meant leaving behind all other work and dedicating myself fully to my plum orchards, which were flourishing. With God’s help, every year that followed in Šumadija brought a remarkable harvest of plums. I now had oak barrels that had aged for a decade, in their prime. I decided to create a family treasury of plum brandy—a legacy for my heirs, a benchmark to aspire to, a guiding star for the future. And so, year by year, I set to work…
In 1992 and 1993, I filled all the barrels from Goč and the Homolje mountains. Today, you can see it—dark green, with an olive hue, and aromas that surpass any cognac, whiskey, or rum from around the world. These distillates laid the foundation of our family treasury.
The years went by—’94, ’95, ’96—and then came ’97. Each year left its own unique mark, but in 1997, I filled barrels from Radan and Stara Planina. I knew they would yield the brightest ruby, like the one that crowned Tsar Lazar, after whom my great-grandson was named. That year, I filled the entire cellar and completed the treasury. Where I stopped, may you continue…
God was generous; we celebrated, had feasts, my grandsons married, and great-grandchildren were born…
Then, in 2015, I received the call to tend to the Heavenly Orchards. I left behind a full treasury, my legacy, and my guiding star. Follow it, children, and carry the glory of Serbian šljivovica to the world. Uphold our tradition and pass down to future generations the duty to preserve our orchards and carry the Serbian crown in their hearts.
Throughout my life, I pursued various paths, yet I always felt a duty to my father—to continue where he left off. Even while he was alive, I wanted to prove that I was a worthy successor. I restored the old orchards and expanded them, planting more native varieties of plums and quinces. Over the years, I carefully selected new barrels and built a new cellar.
In 2012, our new orchard yielded its first substantial quince harvest. I was thrilled and personally distilled the quince brandy, filling three barrels.
My father passed away, and soon after, my wife joined him. I began to ponder what legacy I would leave behind when my time came. The cellar was filled with exceptional plum and quince distillates, yet it still didn’t feel like enough.
I felt a responsibility to my father—not to let his love, dedication, and passion remain trapped in barrels in our cellar, but to share with the world that Serbia, too, can produce distillates of the highest global quality. I realized I had to create something with a clear vision and mission, something that would inspire future generations to continue advancing our craft.
I wanted to anchor my grandchildren here in Serbia, to encourage them to live and build their futures here. So, I decided to establish a distillery like no other seen in our region.
I dreamed of blending our rich history, tradition, and experience in brandy-making with the most advanced German technology, striving to elevate our product quality to its fullest potential. This distillery would become an everlasting source, pouring forth the essence of Serbian tradition, spirit, and history for generations to come.
I set the goal for the new distillery’s mission: to share the story of Serbian brandy across the globe and to place it where it rightfully belongs alongside the world’s most renowned spirits. This mission can only be fulfilled through a clear vision: to craft brandy from fruits grown in our own orchards and vineyards, to make the distillery’s name synonymous with brandy production in Serbia, and to build its reputation solely on product quality and unwavering customer trust. And we did it!
Then came the moment to name the distillery… Friends and acquaintances unanimously suggested House of Senić. However, such an undertaking, with this mission, wasn’t meant to be confined within a single family name, even if that name is my own. We needed a name that would resonate worldwide and embody our products in the best possible way. And so, I proudly present—EMPERUS!
Emperus 2024 © Sva prava zadržana
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EMPERUS Distillery launched a new product line this fall – ZORA by EMPERUS!
