Budilica: ginger, honey and lemon in one sip

The first guest walks in just after nine. Hat, scarf, phone in hand. Before ordering a coffee, they say: “And one Budilica.” They drink it standing, in one go, close their eyes for a second and smile. The day has started.

Budilica (Serbian for “alarm clock”) is our ginger shot: a small glass of fresh ginger, honey and lemon. Three ingredients people have been mixing for centuries, now in a single sip.

Ginger: the root that sailed around the world

Ginger is not actually a root but a rhizome, the underground stem of a plant from tropical Asia. Indian and Chinese kitchens have used it for thousands of years. It reached Europe with the spice caravans and ships, and the Romans paid dearly for it. Today it sits on every market stall, but it has kept its character: sharp, warm, a little citrusy.

That sharpness comes from gingerol, a compound found mostly in fresh ginger. That is why a fresh root “bites” in a way dried ginger powder never does.

Why a fresh shot is different from tea

When ginger is cooked, part of the gingerol turns into zingerone, which is milder and sweeter. That is why a cup of ginger tea feels warm and soft, while a fresh shot is short, spicy and wide awake. It is not about which is better, but what you need right now: tea is for the evening under a blanket, a shot is for the morning on your way out.

A shot is also an honest format. Thirty millilitres, no ice, nothing diluted. The taste of the ingredients arrives whole and all at once.

Honey and lemon: why these three

Ginger on its own is too sharp for most people. Lemon adds acidity and freshness, honey rounds the taste and calms the heat. Sour, sweet and spicy in the same sip: a combination that is hard to forget, and that keeps coming back in kitchens from Asia to the Balkans. Our grandmothers knew tea with honey and lemon too.

We make Budilica fresh, from real ginger root, freshly squeezed lemon and honey.

Morning or noon

Morning. Most of our guests have it with their first coffee, or instead of the second one. The heat wakes up your mouth and the lemon refreshes. If your stomach is sensitive in the morning, have it after breakfast.

Noon. After lunch, when you want something sharp and short rather than another coffee. Budilica has no caffeine, so it leaves your evening alone.

How to drink it

In one go. Without wincing, or at least without wincing too much. The first time it surprises you, by the third time you miss it. If it is too strong, take it in two sips or with a glass of water.

It is best shared. Two glasses, a quick clink, and off you go.

In short

• What is in it: fresh ginger, honey, freshly squeezed lemon.
• How much: a 30 ml shot.
• Taste: spicy, sour, slightly sweet.
• Caffeine: none.
• Honey: yes, so Budilica is not vegan.

We are waiting every morning to raise a glass with you. Golsvordijeva 1, Vračar, Belgrade, from 9am on weekdays and from 10am on Saturdays.