Unicum

Unicum is a Hungarian herbal bitters, drunk as a digestif and apéritif.

According to legend, the drink was initially presented by an ancestor of Zwack founder József Zwack to Kaiser Joseph II of Austria, who proclaimed "Das ist ein Unikum!" ("This is unique!"). The liqueur is today produced by Zwack according to a secret formula including more than 40 herbs and aged in oak casks. During the Communist regime in Hungary, Unicum was produced by a different formula. After the fall of communism, Péter Zwack returned to Hungary and resumed the production of the original Unicum.

Recently Zwack has also launched Unicum Next, a thinner-bodied drink which is more cherry flavoured in character. Unicum is regarded as the national drink of Hungary; many restaurants and bars will offer it as a free after-dinner shot. The production facility offers tours which include a tasting session of the three different varieties (Unicum, Unicum Next and Millenicum). Though Millenicum was a special edition, it can still be found at a few retailers. It is a little stronger than the standard, with a slightly sweeter aftertaste. Zwack Frissitők is a pineapple based version of the drink. Unicum is available through select spirits distributors throughout the United States, as is Unicum Next, re-branded as "Zwack".

References

External links

* [http://www.zwack.hu Zwack Website]