Slivovitz or Slivovitsa is a distilled beverage made from Damson plums. It is frequently called plum brandy, and in the Balkans is part of the category of drinks called rakia.

Serbian Shljivovica is consumed chilled in a special shot glass called "cokanji-cokanjcici" ("ficok-ficuci" in Vojvodina) of 0.3 to 0.5 dl. It is both part of history and tradition in the country and among Serbs across the world.

Traditionally, sljivovica (commonly referred to as "rakija") is connected to Serbian culture as a drink used at all important rites of passage (birth, baptism, military service, marriage, death, etc.). In religious ceremonies, the Orthodox Church uses wine but rakija is used in celebration of Serbian slava. It is used in numerous folk remedies, and is given certain degree of respect above all other alcoholic drinks.

In 2004, over 400 000 litres of Sljivovica was produced in Serbia. Serbia is the largest exporter of slivovitz in the world, and second largest plum producer in the world

Night Life

Belgrade has a reputation for offering a vibrant nightlife, and many clubs that are open until dawn can be found throughout the city. The most recognizable nightlife features of Belgrade are the barges (splavovi) spread along the banks of the Sava and Danube Rivers.

Many weekend visitors particularly from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia prefer Belgrade nightlife to that of their own capitals, due to a perceived friendly atmosphere, great clubs and bars, cheap drinks, the lack of language difficulties, and the lack of restrictive night life regulation.