SPECIAL ISSUE - Behind the brew
To celebrate our first anniversary, we’re taking you behind the scenes.
Hey there,
It’s not Friday, but we’re back with a special edition of Balkan Brew! Around this time last year, we sent out our very first issue - and somehow, we’ve kept it going for a whole year.
Turns out, putting together a weekly newsletter is tougher than it looks (okay, okay, it’s not exactly coal mining, but still). So we’re counting this as a small but meaningful milestone.
Huge thanks for sticking with us! Our little community keeps growing, and that’s all thanks to those of you who’ve shared Balkan Brew with friends. In this special issue, we’re taking you behind the scenes - how it all comes together and what’s next for us in year two.
Let’s dive in!
SHARE THE LOVE. If you enjoy our newsletter, spread the word! Tell a friend about us. New here? Welcome aboard, hit subscribe and join the crew!
A call in the night
“CAN YOU RECOMMEND A BALKAN NEWSLETTER?” Tommi’s question started it all. By summer 2024, there weren’t many around, even though newsletters were booming.
“NOPE, LET’S MAKE OUR OWN.” That’s how Rodolfo replied. He had just left Sarajevo after 13 years and was already feeling nostalgic.
NAME OF THE GAME. We wanted a newsletter where everyone could fit in. That guided a few small but key decisions: yellow as our main color, and a logo featuring one of the few things found everywhere in the region - the coffee pot.
WHY THE BALKANS? The Balkans are often talked about through their past, but we think they’re showing the future. Nationalism, fake news, the end of the welfare state, the crisis of democracy, depopulation: the “West” is catching up fast, and we’re not surprised.
WHERE THE BALKANS? “Balkans” is a vague term, we know, we know.
Using the broadest definition of the Balkan Peninsula felt like the best way to avoid the term’s baggage (as another famous Žižek sketch goes).
HOW THE BALKANS? We wanted to write for everyone, offering background, context, and something easy to read. Punchy, and to the point (Politico was an obvious inspiration).
REAL LIFE. Most of all, we wanted to focus on what really happens behind the political smoke screens. There’s real life in the Balkans, but it’s easy to miss if you only look at rhetoric and “geopolitics.”
Thursday night lights
After one year, family and friends know the drill: we avoid trips, skip dinners, and - sigh - cancel karaoke nights. Thursday night is Balkan Brew night. That’s when we discuss the week’s news, then write, edit, and lay out Friday’s issue.
THE FRIDAY CURSE. Balkan Brew goes out every Friday around 9 a.m. (give or take). We quickly learned just how much news drops on Fridays in this region, and just as quickly accepted we can’t cover it all.
We stick to stories that genuinely interest us, without pretending to cover everything. That felt like the best way to keep things curious and, hopefully, not boring.
HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE. Believe it or not, reading is the hardest and most time-consuming part. There’s a ton out there, and even when something’s good, you still wonder if there’s something even better.
TRUST THE MEDIA. We rely on the most trustworthy outlets in each country (some of our favorites: N1, Slobodna Evropa, BIRN). When we wander further afield, we try to do so consciously.
THE TURKEY-SHAPED HOLE. We’re always trying to get better. Some countries we know well; others we’re still getting to know. If you have media tips or sources we might be missing, send them our way!
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM YOU. Your favourite topic, without a doubt, was the Serbian protests. The issues covering them consistently rank among the most read.
Next in line: global news, Balkan-style. Some of our most-opened editions include Gaza, here we come and our special issue Trump is back, back again. That one, admittedly, was also the most frustrating to send. We’d written two versions in advance, in case Kamala Harris won. The unused one still sits in our drafts, we’ve never deleted it.
The big unknown
When we launched Balkan Brew, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to create: the tone, the style, the ideal reader. What we didn’t have were clear plans for the future. And that’s where you come in!
GROWING. We want to make Balkan Brew bigger. That means more work for us (very likely through fewer hours of sleep), but also a bigger audience, and more chances to highlight stories that matter from a region too often (and unfairly) overlooked.
WHAT’S NEW. The Friday newsletter will stay free, but starting in the new year, we’ll also launch a paid version. It’ll be a way to support us if you value what we do. In return, we’ll bring you exclusive content, more special issues, and… well, you’ll see.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? Is there anything we’re missing? Something you’d love to see more often? Other ways (besides writing) you’d like us to share the news? This is your moment: reply to this email and tell us. We’re all ears.
BRING A PLUS ONE. We know, we know: we ask every time. But if you feel like giving us a little birthday gift, here’s one: stop reading for a sec, think of someone who’d love BB, and forward them this newsletter.
This anniversary had us reflecting a lot. It’s been an amazing year, and we hope to be here again next year with a brand-new birthday issue.
In the meantime, a huge thanks to all of you - plus a bonus selfie from an awesome ćevabdžinica in Sarajevo (we’ll reveal the name when they sponsor us).
See you next Friday, with much love,
BB
Thanks for all your work.
And I agree, I’ve long suspected that the Balkans is a forerunner of things to come globally.