Zwack Unicum

The history of Zwack Unicum has very ancient origins and has its roots in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1790, Joseph II, Emperor and King of Hungary, summoned Dr Zwack, who was the doctor of the imperial court, to discuss his digestive problems. The doctor gave him a sip of a herbal digestive, to which, according to legend, Joseph II responded with the words 'Das ist ein unicum', or 'this nectar is unique'. This is how, between myth and reality, the origin of the name of the product that established the Zwack distillery came about. In 1892, the distillery moved to the 9th district of Budapest, where it is still based today, in a larger space, to cope with its success and the ever-increasing demand. Today, Sandor Zwack is at the helm of the company and over the last decade he has contributed to the modernisation of the products' identity by introducing a more attractive graphic design for each label.

Zwack's Unicum is produced from the original recipe, which dates back to 1790. It is one of the oldest herbal liqueurs made in Europe, and is created by processing more than 40 herbs and spices. These raw materials are carefully selected and come from all five continents, with some coming from countries such as Australia, Malawi and India. Some of the ingredients, which are considered essential for giving Unicum its classic flavour, are weighed personally by Anne Marshall Zwack, Sandor's mother. This ensures that the exact dosage is kept a secret within the family. The production phase gets into full swing when the herbs and spices are either macerated, soaked in alcohol made from the highest quality corn, or distilled, or simply macerated or distilled, depending on which process is more suitable for extracting the fragrance. The resulting liquids are then mixed in a large wooden container, which can have a capacity of up to 20,000 litres. The Unicum is then left to rest in oak barrels, where it acquires new aromas and flavours to complete its taste and smell profile.

The Unicum produced by Zwack is a bitter in which, with every sip, you can experience the sense of tradition and family which still guides each operation of the new generation at the helm of the distillery, even after 228 years. It is a product in which aromatic, balsamic and medicinal aromas dance in harmony, conveying a unique story.