When Kvarner claimed the title of European Region of Gastronomy this year, it became clear that the region’s focus would be on the stories that, through gastronomy and wine, preserve the authenticity of the place. In Bregi, above the Kvarner Gulf, where the view opens onto the sea, the islands and the entire Rijeka basin, twin brothers Borjan and Tino Suzić, making liqueurs and spirits, created Suza, a concept that presents Kvarner through flavours, aromas, old family stories and an atmosphere to which guests always return.
Back in the 1980s, their father Slavko began keeping bees, and in the early 2000s they produced the first five litres of medica (honey wine) made according to a hundred-year-old recipe, after which the brothers soon realised that a great story about Kvarner, heritage and a modern approach to local tradition could be set in motion behind it all. Today Suza is entering a new phase of development. Through a refreshed visual identity and logo, the brand retains its authenticity but takes on a more contemporary expression in step with the atmosphere and energy of the new era.
In a year when identity, heritage and the gastronomy of Kvarner are increasingly spoken of as key elements of tourism development, Suza marks 25 years of work in a special way. Kvarner Experience is their year-round concept that takes guests to Bregi for relaxed conviviality. There they are welcomed by welcome drinks, homemade pršut (dry-cured ham), cheese and warm, freshly baked pogača bread.
After the introduction comes an entry into the Rijeka Time Machine — a space in which the identity of Kvarner is revealed through objects, photographs and personal stories. History is felt through details, music, aromas and an atmosphere enriched by intriguing plates inspired by grandmother’s kitchen and by flavours that carry you back to childhood. The end of the day belongs to sunset over Kvarner, as cocktails blend with the view of the sea.
photo: Nikola Zoko
