Franc Kirar Honey Brandy: A Story of Heritage, Honey, and Distillation in a DES Still

When time, family heritage, and the trace of an old craft are preserved in a single raw material, distillation stops being just a technological process. It becomes a way to set the past in motion again, but in a new form.

At the Slovenian distillery Svarog, led by Bojan Lunežnik, exactly such a moment was transformed into a limited series of Franc Kirar honey brandy. In cooperation with Maja Kirar, the granddaughter of the renowned beekeeper Franc Kirar, Bojan distilled a brandy from honey almost half a century old, carefully processed and transformed into a drink that carries much more than an aromatic profile.

This is the story of 750 kilograms of honey that did not end up as a forgotten family memory, but as a limited distillate created out of respect for a man, beekeeping, and the time that left its mark.

Honey that preserved time
Franc Kirar was one of the notable beekeepers of his time, known for his innovations in beekeeping and honey production. After his death, 750 kilograms of honey remained, not as an ordinary raw material, but as the heritage of one family, one craft, and one era.

Decades later, Maja Kirar decided to entrust that honey to Bojan Lunežnik, founder of Svarog Distillery. That is how the idea was born to turn something preserved from the past into a completely new product, a honey brandy bearing the name of Franc Kirar.

It is not just a distillate. It is a liquid memory of tradition, beekeeping, family, and patience.

Svarog Distillery: a craft that understands the story
Svarog Distillery is a young family-owned distillery from Maribor, known for producing premium alcoholic spirits and for its creative approach to distillation. It is run by Bojan and Lidija Lunežnik, and their work combines local ingredients, experimentation, and respect for the craft.

Precisely because of this approach, the Franc Kirar project could not be treated as ordinary production. Honey that was several decades old required understanding, careful heating, preparation, purification, and precise distillation.

With products like this, there is no room for improvisation. Every stage of the process must be under control, because the raw material is limited, precious, and unrepeatable.

The DES still as part of a process that preserves aroma
For a distillate like this, a good recipe alone is not enough. Equipment is also needed, equipment that enables a stable, precise, and controlled distillation process.

Svarog Distillery uses a DES still, and this special honey brandy was created precisely in that still. DES equipment gives Bojan what is essential in projects like this: control over the process, preservation of the aromatic profile, and the ability to draw the full character out of a rare raw material.

With honey brandy, it is especially important to preserve the delicate aroma of honey, without aggressive tones and without losing elegance. A high-quality still cannot make a good distillate from poor raw material, but when the distiller has knowledge, vision, and a carefully prepared base, a good still makes a major difference.

It does not dominate the raw material.

It helps it express itself.

A limited series with symbolism
Franc Kirar honey brandy was produced as a limited edition of only 555 bottles. The first three bottles were given special meaning: one remained with Bojan Lunežnik, the second with Maja Kirar, and the third was gifted to the city of Maribor.

This gesture shows that the product was not conceived merely as a drink, but as a cultural and emotional object. As a bottle that carries a story about a man, a family, beekeeping, Slovenia, and the modern craft of distillation.

According to the official information about the project, the drink is described as soft and highly aromatic, and it was also analyzed for undesirable components, with the statement that it contains no prohibited or unwanted ingredients.

What does this story mean for future distillers?
The story of Franc Kirar honey brandy shows how far distillation can go when a good idea, valuable raw material, knowledge, and quality equipment come together.

If you are planning to start a distillery or improve your existing production, it is important to know that you are not only choosing a still. You are choosing a tool that will take part in every future product, every recipe, and every batch you develop.

DES stills are used for the production of brandy, gin, liqueurs, absinthe, vodka, whisky, rum, and other alcoholic spirits. Our range includes more than 40 still models, different types of columns, several heating options, and the possibility of producing equipment according to the needs of your production.

Whether you are developing traditional brandy, modern gin, or a limited series with a special story, the right still gives you safety, control, and a repeatable result.

When heritage gets a new life
Franc Kirar honey brandy was not created out of a desire to make just another drink on the market. It was created out of respect for a man who left his mark on beekeeping, out of the trust of his family, and out of the vision of a distiller who knew how to turn honey that was decades old into something new.

For DES, it is a special honor that our stills take part in projects like this. Because when equipment becomes part of a story that connects the past and the future, we know that our work has a broader meaning.

Some distillates are consumed.
Some are remembered.
And some become a story that is passed on.
Franc Kirar honey brandy belongs to that rare third group.
Contact us and find the DES still that suits your production.