Zwack Unicum

Joseph II, emperor of Austria and Hungary, unwittingly came up with the name for Hungary’s most famous liqueur in 1790. “Das ist ein Unicum” he commented after sampling the tonic created by court physician Dr. Zwack to treat a stomach disorder troubling his majesty.

Since that date the Zwack family has carefully guarded the secret of the concoction.

Industrial-scale production of Unicum launched in 1840 when the Zwack company was established, and within just a few years it had become Central Europe’s largest distillery enterprise.

At its height the Zwack company was turning out more than 200 different liqueurs and brandies. Today, the company is being successfully managed by the fifth generation of the family.

So what exactly is Unicum?

It is a finely blended, semi-bitter herbal liqueur placed somewhere between the sweeter amaros and the fortified digestifs. Thus it can be enjoyed both as an aperitif and digestive i.e. it sharpens the appetite and aids digestion. Unicum, treacle brown in color and with an unmistakeable aroma and taste, is derived from an infusion of over 40 medicinal plants. Some of the basic ingredients are macerated in alcohol for one month, while others are distilled (this is where the process differs from other similar liqueurs), and then the components are carefully blended.

The liquor is matured in oak casks for a minimum six months and then bottled in the unique rounded Unicum bottles. The Unicum label is most noteworthy too: a gold cross on a red circular background.

In this form the cross is a reference to Hungary’s first king, St. Stephen, and European tradition. The four branches of the cross also represent the four elements and four points of the compass. Red symbolizes vitality, gold the precious and wonderful herbs used in creating the drink.

Unicum can be consumed chilled or at room temperature, depending on the occasion and taste. The joke goes that taken in small doses Unicum is a remedy, and in large doses a medicine. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be careful, since all pharmacy products have their own side effects…

Zwack Unicum, herbal liqueur, hungaricum