MMM Stories

In peace we came, to the source we went. And it was at the source from which the fresh brews of Ljubljana's first craft brewery audibly bubble that we found Tektonik's original and head brewer, Marko Jamnik. And if at first glance his serious, quiet appearance and collected, calm demeanour may seem dissonant with the lively Tektonix in-house pub and the screaming, colourful labels adorned with the playfully tooth-grinned mascot, only a few words needed to be exchanged to realise where the wild energy and dynamism comes from that’s so characteristic of everything flowing out of Tektonik’s taps.

As grass and thoughts grow, so do desires, fresh ideas, and goals. From a tiny sprout, they grow with inexhaustible energy and rise towards the light. That’s how, more than a decade ago, the idea of microgreens started in Saša Kržič’s mind, quickly grew, and caught the attention of her husband, Boštjan Šebenik. Since then, surrounded by the greenery of the Ljubljana Marsh, they have been passionately devoted to their business, and have for several years maintained their status as the most established provider of microgreens to restaurants and other herb-loving individuals in Slovenia.

How should a nation that in the mid-1970s sang in unison the famous song ‘ 'dobro jutro, kot sreča se zdi, beli sijaj narave – kot življenje rad ga imam' (op. prev.: good morning, as happiness it seems, the white glow of nature – I love it as life itself’) feel about milk and dairy products? Times change, and the iconic commercial that was aired by the dairy economic interest group of Slovenia at the time would probably not be so well received today, but for many people today, milk is where it all starts and milk makes the day better.

Life sometimes truly seems like a fairy tale in this place, with the mist rising above the green wetlands and birdsong embellishing the dewy mornings. It was here, on the outskirts of the fairytale-esque marsh in Črna vas, that Miha Pupis and Urša Kunz found their sleeping queen some two decades ago.

The sliding of a droplet down the side of a frosted glass, an ice cube gently knocking on the side, and the liquid enveloping it, inviting us to pour out onto the cold marble the delicate outlines of our most ardent wishes and elusive dreams, prompting a reflection on transience, on the inexorability of time, our own insignificance in the face of timelessness.

There is a farm with no land in the middle of Ljubljana? Little fungi can bring about the creation of a proper field? All of this is true ...

It’s nice catching moonlight on the palm of your hand, but it is a completely different story capturing bubbles, stardust, and a touch of funk in your bottle. This is a story being written by some young gentlemen from Barut Brewing and Blending in the abandoned part of the former gunpowder factory in Kamnik for a number of years now.

There are so many memories that bind us to the sound and feel of hands touching ceramics and we strive to preserve their fragility with tenderness. The author and at the same time guardian of this tenderness is Bojana Ristevski Mlaker, who began writing the story of the Juha ceramics studio at the end of 2017 in Ljubljana.

Why should we be sour faced when everything is so yeastful! Kis in Kvas (vinegar and yeast) – an excellent idea that was the brainchild of Goran Žerdin and Sanja Čakarun – is a brand of fermented products that bring aficionados a wide selection of unforgettable tastes.

The vision of Ljubljana’s small and only gin and whiskey distillery, called Broken Bones, is as strong as steel. For years they have carefully planned each step they take, which has led to the production of premium spirits with distinct, complex tastes, but gentle and pleasant aromas that entice tasters from near and far.