Possibly a good time to sample your first glass of rakia, too.

The women stuffed bread and a bottle of rakia into their torbitzas.

Got too much rakia this mornin', 'E think about Turks an' get kinder mad some'ow.

The hostess brought us rakia, coffee and walnuts, and did her utmost to make us comfortable.

Two hours later I knew I had found Bulgaria's secret weapon in the war on decrepitude: rakia.

There was no water to drink, and Jo tried, not very successfully, to quench her thirst with rakia.

They had, however, no right to talk of drink, for the pilgrimage was an orgy of rakia, beer and wine.

AP More Telegraph Travel expert guides The local drink rakia is a fermented fruit distillate that comes in several varieties, all equally potent.

Coffee and cigarettes came in, of the best, and the rakia was a thing apart from the acrid stuff we were accustomed to.

In the Pearl of the Adriatic, the time for greeting visitors with handshakes, shots of rakia and 1970s cover versions is long gone.

They gave her water and 'rakia' (a kind of brandy) and took her across Lake Scutari wrapped in a rug full of vermin.

Fidgeting on his feet, Pesho soon joins us, pulling up a chair and pouring us each a glass of his own plum rakia (brandy).

Thanks to Edwin Kennebec, Alida Becker, Joanne Wycoff, and my newest editor at Penguin, Rakia Clark.

The survey party had proceeded up the gorge of the Rakia, and were absent about a fortnight, when Mr.

"Rakia," Azov said, as he raised the bottle, offering it to Vera.

Rakia was served, and father divulged ceremoniously how many pigs he could spare to them for keeping his daughter.