An icon of Hungarian drinking, this bitter liqueur can trace its history back to 1790.

First produced by József Zwack, who was the private doctor for the Hasburg Emperor, Joseph II. Upon being presented with the liqueur, the Emperor is said to have commented “Das ist ein Unikum!” which translates as “that is a unique thing!” giving the liqueur its name.

Production began in earnest in 1840, when Zwack’s descendent (also named József) began commercial operations. It was a near enough instant success, becoming the national drink of Hungary by the late 1800s.

The distillery was severely damaged in the Second World War, and then confiscated by the new Communist government. The Zwack family fled to America, where they sued the Hungarian State to prevent imports of Unicum. Happily, following the collapse of Communism in the late 20th century, the distillery is back in family hands, run by Sandor and Izabella Zwack, the family’s 6th generation. Diageo also owns a significant stake.

The liqueur itself is made to a secret family recipe, which involves the maceration and distillation of 40 different herbs and spices. The liqueur is aged onsite in oak casks for over 6 months.

Zwack offers a unique herbal flavour, with notes of cola, orris, anise, tobacco smoke, expresso, dark chocolate, liquorice, fennel, citrus peel, pine, some sweet chilli, black pepper, chopped herbs and coriander.

This dark drop is not for the faint of heart, but Amaro fans will love it!

• Product type
  Herb Liqueurs
• Distillery / brand
  Zwack
• Country
  Hungary
• SKU
  035165