Events calendar

🍸🌿 1st Festival of Wormwood and Bitter Herbal Liqueurs 🌿🍸

📅 27–28 February 2026
📍 Exportdrvo, Rijeka

The end of February in Rijeka brings a brand-new event – Aperitivo, the first festival dedicated to wormwood and bitter herbal liqueurs. Over two days, Exportdrvo will host around twenty producers from across Croatia, presenting a rich and diverse selection of wormwood-based and bitter herbal liqueurs – from classic, authentic flavours to modern and creative combinations.

The festival also features a music programme in a specially designed space, giving the event an urban, contemporary and distinctly Rijeka vibe. Performers include the band Dijagnoze and DJ Sale 4Love, DJ Pick A Boo and DJ Fish.

Festival opening hours:

Friday, 27 February: 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday, 28 February: 5:00 pm – 2:00 am

In addition to enjoying drinks and music, visitors will be able to vote for their favourite pelinkovac, with the audience’s choice award for the best pelinkovac of the festival. The programme also includes an educational segment featuring lectures, presentations and demonstrations on the production and preparation of pelinkovac and bitter herbal liqueurs.

As a special festival feature, payments will be made using BITTERCOIN, a festival token with a value of 1 euro.

With Kvarner holding the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2026, this festival adds extra value to Rijeka’s cultural and gastronomic scene and has the potential to become a new and recognisable city tradition.