Welcome to our story
My name is Tian and I want to tell you a story about how two people, my parents, escaped from the biggest
war crime in Europe since World War II. How the love between
them, and the will to not only survive but live, drove them to overcome the circumstances and create a new life in Denmark.
Read on and get the story about us as importers, and
why we chose to establish a company centered around Bosnian traditions
A new start in strange surroundings
It is 1992 and there is civil war in Yugoslavia -
a result of the collapse of the state in 1990. The civil war is rooted in economic
difficulties, increasing nationalism in the sub-republics, and disagreements about
how the country should be divided and governed. A disagreement with a high price.
The state of emergency in the country sets the relationship between Edin and Biljana on hold. Women and children flee, while all fit men are forced into the military. Biljana reaches Sweden, and Edin tries to find a
way out from the country's inevitable collapse.
In 1994, the war has engulfed what once was
Yugoslavia. With limited contact, they are unaware of each others situation and location. The hope for a future together is slowly diminishing and seems almost impossible.
Fate doesn't think so.
Edin's attempt to find a way out west
fails. It takes him on the eastern route. With a little luck and a lot of guts he ends up in Świnoujście in Poland. From here, the goal is to reach Sweden – Biljana's last
known location.
The destination of the journey is a reality, but it is one
short pleasure. The documents for a residence permit in Sweden are not
sufficient, and just as Edin sets foot on Swedish soil, he is asked to take the same ferry back to Poland. He believes that fate has spoken; they are not meant to be.
It turns out that Biljana's mother has fallen ill, and
concern for the state of the family forces a journey home. Biljana's journey from
Sweden to Bosnia involves the ferry trip from Sweden to Poland. As the last
passenger, Biljana steps onto the ferry, where Edin has just had one of his lifes worst news. On the ferry deck, Edin is escorted to his cabin, and in it
the moment he looks up at the crowded ferry deck, his eyes see only Biljana, and
hers only him.
That night the future no longer seems uncertain and
gloomy, but rather full of hope and possibilities - as long as they have each other by their side. They have no doubt that their life together is destined.
The rose that grew from concrete
The arrival in Denmark is turbulent. To receive 20,000 refugees in such a short time
time turns out to be a big task, but a task they manage in the best possible way.
After the uncertainty at various refugee camps, everything calms down when they land on Fanø.
They are met by a local community that is ready to help and show what
Denmark has to offer. It quickly becomes clear that language skills are not
nearly as important as showing an interest and willingness to be a part of the community.
They become aware that a high work ethic is important for a successful integration, but also to achieve a life reminiscent of the one they had in Bosnia.
From 1995 to 2000 they work in a family-run restaurant. At the same time educates Edin himself as a building designer.
With a handful of years of experience in the restaurant industry, they opened Restaurant Dino in 2001. The menu offers Bosnian and Danish favorites. The restaurant is a picture of their journey and symbolizes at the same time
the union of Bosnian and Danish culture.
This year the restaurant has its 22st anniversary. It is clear to us that through the years we have succeeded in achieving a unique interaction between the two cultures, which the danish guests fell in love with. This has made the restaurant a local favorite.
With the restaurant as living proof of a Danish interest in Bosnian culture, we were inspired to show that a country with a history marked by war not only has
diligent people to offer, but certainly also other resources and good traditions.
We experience all the time that the Danish guests love to get together and have a good time, with food and drinks being at the center of it. We saw this as an obvious opportunity to combine something traditionally
Bosnian in a new setting, inspired by the rich Bosnian nature.
Rakija therefore symbolizes the traditional that brings people together, while gin's taste sends memories back to the Bosnian nature.
friends reunite and new goals are set
As a result of the war in Yugoslavia, many relationships between friends and
acquaintances were broken. Just as we gradually gained a foothold in Denmark, so did our friends in other countries.
Eventually we were reunited and it turned out that
what we were looking for was right in front of us. Damir, a family friend, had exactly the same goal of showing that Bosnia still has a lot to offer.
Damir fled to Holland when the war broke out and, like us, he adapted to his new life as best he could. He created a security company, which became a huge success. He then took on a distiller's training at one of the world's most recognized schools. That inspired him to combine the
traditional craftsmanship behind rakija and gin with newer technologies and methods, to lift the good flavors to completely new heights.
It was time to return home to Bosnia and make the vision a reality.
The distillery opened in 2019, and shortly after the launch of the distillates, the distillery became a well-known name at various competitions in the Balkan area-
In 2021 we visited the distillery and got an insight into the quality of the whole the production process as well as the distillates. At that moment it dawned on us that
it was exactly what we were looking for.
The visit convinced us that Damir's reinterpretation of the classics gave especially rakija the potential to be recognized internationally.
In 2022, both our rakija and gin won gold at the San Francisco World Spirits
Competition, which is the largest and most recognized spirits competition.
With some of the world's best Eau-de-vie and gin, it was really time to show
the world what Bosnia has to offer.