Unicum

Unicum is the famous Hungarian herbal liqueur produced by Zwack Unicum in Budapest, a symbol of Hungary’s liqueur-making tradition and registered as a hungaricum. Its secret recipe, which the company says uses over 40 medicinal herbs, has been passed down in the family for generations.

According to family legend, in 1790 Dr. Zwack, physician to the Habsburg court, offered Emperor Joseph II a sip of his liqueur to aid digestion. The monarch is said to have exclaimed «Dr. Zwack, das ist ein Unikum!», thus giving the drink its name. In 1840 József Zwack founded the first distillery, and on 22 May 1883 Unicum was registered as a trademark. Since 1892, production has been located in Ferencváros, along the Danube, at the Soroksári út site that still houses the company today.

The story of Unicum is also one of resilience: in 1948 the communist state nationalized the distillery and János Zwack left the country with the original recipe, while his brother Béla handed the authorities a false one. After decades in exile, the family returned to Hungary in the late 1980s and in 1992 Zwack Unicum bought back the entire company from the state.

Today Zwack Unicum is a family-run company now in its sixth generation, with products present in over 35 countries. Unicum, at 40% ABV, is made according to the original process and recipe, and the range also includes Unicum Riserva.

Over two centuries of history captured in a bottle: Unicum is an icon of the Hungarian spirit, born as a digestif at the Habsburg court.