Unicum

Unicum is the name of a Hungarian stomach bitters distillery Zwack.

Its name refers to the alleged cry " This is a Unicum! " The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire back Joseph II, who was also Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary, as he gave the liqueur the first time in 1790 by his court physician Dr. Zwack had received. The herbal liqueur and bitters is an extract from over 40 different herbs and roots.

The basic composition is similar to Underberg. The recipe is for 200 years, a secret guarded by the Zwack family. The various herbs and roots are soaked in alcohol for a few weeks until the ingredients dissolve. The solution is then distilled. After the drink is aged six months in oak barrels before being bottled.

History

The story of Unicum linked closely to the distillery Zwack. It was founded in 1840 in plague and since then has been commercially liqueur after the family recipe here. 1883 until today still standing in use spherical green glass bottle with the emblem was registered consisting of a white cross on a red ground round as a trademark and protected. Unicum has already been successfully exported in those years to Austria, France and Russia. In 1890, production had already grown so that she had to move to new premises in the 9th district of Budapest ( Ferencvaros ), where she again has its manufacturing today. The production came in the second world war by destroying the factory to a standstill. After the factory was rebuilt, it came in 1948 under the communist regime to nationalize the company. However, the Zwack family kept her recipe for secretly and gave a false, altered version of the State award. Under difficult circumstances, the family succeeded to leave the country and flee to Italy, where they established their Unicum by their original recipe. From now on, until 1989 there were two types of the drink. Péter Zwack succeeded along with Underberg after 1989 to buy back the operation in Hungary again and turned off then Unicum according to original recipe back in Hungary ago. In the 90s came a new form of stomach bitters called Unicum Next to the market. It tastes as opposed to the original Unicum sweeter and "fresh" lemon.

Besides the well known Bitters provides Zwack also produces several varieties fires or schnapps and liqueurs.

Awards

• BNV Award, 1991
• Hungaropack Price, 1998
• Worldstar Winner, 1998
• Golden Leaf ( for advertising ) Tokyo, 2000