Unicum

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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 a specialty!"). 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. The flavor of Unicum closely resembles that of Jägermeister, but it is considerably earthier and less sweet with a very bitter aftertaste.

Recently Zwack has also launched Unicum Next, a thinner-bodied drink which is more cherry flavoured in character. In Hungary it is marketed towards the female drinker, and often appeals more to the Western palate.

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 (address to be found on the website) 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". ^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Distribution information per: Karen Sorensen, customer, USA 847-658-1541.

[edit] External links

• Zwack Website