Vinprom Zaarska Bulgarian Mastika (1L, 55%)

Zaarska Mastika is a Bulgarian spirit from Vinprom, from the 1950s and bottled at 55% in a 100cl bottle. It is popular in the south of Bulgaria, near Greece and Turkey, and is similar to ouzo or raki. The traditional way to serve it is to keep the bottle in the freezer until crystals form, then pour it cold and dilute it with water, as with Pernod. It is also taken with ayran, a natural set yogurt mixed with water and salt, or sipped neat from the freezer alongside smoked salmon and blini.