Challenges of Slovenian distilling, Marko Hlebec
Slovenian distilling faces challenges that slow its development, warns Marko Hlebec, creator of the award‑winning ŽivaGin from the Blackmill distillery. Although his gin earned gold medals in both London and Las Vegas this year, a key systemic issue remains: the demanding process of obtaining an excise warehouse.
In many countries, new distilleries receive this status automatically, while in Slovenia it involves a lengthy and bureaucratic procedure. An excise warehouse allows distillers to pay excise duty at bottling rather than at distillation or the start of aging. Because this is not easily accessible, barrel‑aged spirits are rare in Slovenia, as excise duty must be paid upfront—long before part of the alcohol evaporates during maturation (angels shares).
Hlebec notes that the process is often too complex for small distilleries, requiring extensive administrative, statistical, and digital skills. As a result, many give up, placing Slovenian producers at a disadvantage compared to foreign competitors.
Blackmill therefore highlights the need for changes that would support the faster development of high‑quality Slovenian spirits.
More information is available at the links below:
