Stara Sokolova Williams Pear 750ML

Stara Sokolova Williams Pear 750ML is a Serbian pear brandy (viljamovka) made entirely from Williams pears, bottled at 40% ABV. Rooted in a family recipe dating to 1897 and passed through eight generations, this expression has earned gold medal recognition for its quality and faithfulness to traditional Balkan distilling methods.

Quick Facts: ABV: 40%  |  Origin: Western Serbia  |  Style: Williams Pear Brandy (Viljamovka)  |  Distillery: Stara Sokolova, Kostojevići

Production & Heritage

Stara Sokolova operates from the village of Kostojevići, near Bajina Bašta in far-western Serbia, nestled at the foothill of Spasovik hill in a valley renowned for its aromatic pear orchards. The brandy is double distilled in old copper pot stills, a method that preserves the delicate aromatics of the Williams pear while building body and smoothness. The Bogdanović family has maintained this recipe since 1897 across eight generations, making Stara Sokolova one of the longest-running family pear brandy producers in the region.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with a light, crisp quality that immediately gives way to freshly sliced Williams pear and white flowers. Delicate floral notes layer over a clean fruit foundation, hinting at the brandy's careful copper-pot distillation.

Taste: Entry is gentle and fruit-forward, with a luscious burst of sweet pear arriving at the mid-palate. Subtle honey emerges alongside the fruit, while a muted sweetness keeps the brandy balanced rather than cloying. The overall profile favors soft, subtle flavors over aggressive intensity.

Finish: The finish is smooth, crisp, and refreshing with a lingering pear character that fades gracefully. It leaves a clean impression without harsh heat, reflecting the benefits of double distillation in copper.

How to Drink Stara Sokolova Williams Pear

Serve chilled or at cool room temperature in a tulip glass to concentrate the delicate pear aromatics; this brandy rewards slow, contemplative sipping. It also works as a distinctive cocktail ingredient in these three applications: a Pear Sidecar, where the Williams pear character replaces cognac with a lighter, fruitier backbone; a French 75 variation, substituting pear brandy for gin to create an elegant, floral sparkling cocktail; or a Brandy Sour, where the natural pear sweetness balances citrus juice with minimal added sugar.

Best For

• Introducing friends to traditional Balkan fruit brandies
• After-dinner digestif alongside fresh fruit or light pastries
• Gifting someone who appreciates small-batch, heritage spirits
• Expanding a home bar beyond mainstream grape-based brandies

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Stara Sokolova Williams Pear taste like? It delivers a luscious, sweet pear flavor with honey undertones and a crisp, refreshing finish. The overall impression is soft and balanced rather than sharp or boozy.

How does Stara Sokolova Williams Pear compare to Massenez Poire Williams? Both are European Williams pear brandies at 40% ABV, but Stara Sokolova leans toward a softer, more muted sweetness rooted in Serbian copper-pot tradition, while Massenez, produced in Alsace, France, tends toward a more intensely aromatic and fruit-forward Alsatian style. The Serbian expression emphasizes subtlety and balance, whereas the French bottling highlights pear intensity.

Is Stara Sokolova Williams Pear good for sipping neat? Yes — its smooth double-distilled profile and restrained 40% ABV make it an approachable neat sipper, especially when served slightly chilled to highlight the pear aromatics.

Where is Stara Sokolova Williams Pear made? It is produced in Kostojevići, a village near Bajina Bašta in the far west of Serbia, at the foothill of Spasovik hill. The surrounding valley is known for its pear orchards, which supply the fruit for distillation.

What foods pair well with Stara Sokolova Williams Pear? Blue cheese or aged Gouda, where the pear sweetness offsets salty richness; almond tart or marzipan desserts, which echo the brandy's subtle nuttiness; fresh pear slices drizzled with honey for a complementary pairing; dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage to contrast the fruit; and walnut-studded pastries common in Serbian cuisine, which share the brandy's regional character.

What sizes does Stara Sokolova Williams Pear come in? The standard available size is the 750ml bottle.

Is Stara Sokolova Williams Pear worth the price? It positions as a value-to-mid-tier pear brandy that delivers authenticity and heritage well above its price point, particularly given the eight-generation family provenance and traditional copper-still production.

Why Stara Sokolova Williams Pear?

What separates this expression from industrial fruit brandies is the unbroken 1897 family lineage and the insistence on double distillation in old copper pot stills — a method that demands more time and yields less volume but captures the Williams pear's fragrance with remarkable clarity. The gold medal it has earned validates what the Bogdanović family has known for generations: slow, traditional methods produce a cleaner, more expressive spirit. For drinkers curious about the Balkan tradition of rakija and fruit brandy, this bottle serves as one of the most accessible and well-documented entry points from the region.