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What is Unicum

The 230 year old family secret

Családunk immár hat generáción át, 1790 óta őrzi legnagyobb titkát: az Unicum pontos receptjét és készítésének módját. Természetesen az Unicum-receptúrára békében és (világ)háborúkban sem derült fény, és talán ez örökre így is marad. Egy keveset most azonban elárulunk.

The Herbs

The majority of the herbs, and spices used in Unicum comes from the Carpathian basin, but ingredients are also imported from Morocco, China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Americas and Australia. The herbs are measured by hand to this day, while some special ingredients, known as the „heart” of Unicum, are personally weighed out by a family member, currently by Péter Zwack’s widow, Anne Marshall Zwack.

Maceration

The 2 ways of extracting flavour/fragrance is maceration and distillation. In the case of Unicum half of the herbs are macerated, the others are distilled. Sometimes the same herb is used in maceration and distillation. During maceration, the herbs are immersed in corn alcohol, a process that gives an intensive, rich taste to the drink.

Blending in wooden vat

The macerated and distilled herbs are then blended together in a traditional wooden vat. To ensure that Unicum should be consistent in quality, the Master Distiller together with a Tasting committee, headed by a member of the family, frequently taste the Unicum from the vat.

Ageing in oak casks

Az Unicum végleges ízét a tölgyfahordós érlelés adja meg. Ez a különleges eljárás szintúgy 1790-től kíséri el a likőr történetét. Bár sokan nem is sejtik, a mai napig a Soroksári úti gyár alatti pincében van az az 500 hordó, amiben az Unicumok érlelődnek.

The 230 year old family secret

Distilled from over forty herbs and spices, Unicum is one of the oldestherb liqueurs in Europe. The production process and the more than 230 years old secret recipe have remained the same since Unicum was invented. The production today is in the hands of Sándor and Izabella Zwack, the 6th generation of the Zwack family. Some special ingredients, known as the „heart of Unicum”, are personally weighed out by a family member.

The Herbs

The majority of the herbs, and spices used in Unicum comes from the Carpathian basin, but ingredients are also imported from Morocco, China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Americas and Australia. The herbs are measured by hand to this day, while some special ingredients, known as the „heart” of Unicum, are personally weighed out by a family member, currently by Péter Zwack’s widow, Anne Marshall Zwack.

Maceration

The 2 ways of extracting flavour/fragrance is maceration and distillation. In the case of Unicum half of the herbs are macerated, the others are distilled. Sometimes the same herb is used in maceration and distillation. During maceration, the herbs are immersed in corn alcohol, a process that gives an intensive, rich taste to the drink.

Blending in wooden vat

The macerated and distilled herbs are then blended together in a traditional wooden vat. To ensure that Unicum should be consistent in quality, the Master Distiller together with a Tasting committee, headed by a member of the family, frequently taste the Unicum from the vat.

Ageing in oak casks

Ageing in oak casks confers on Unicum the final complexities in taste and bouquet. Unicum has been aged in oak ever since the beginning. In a labyrinth of cellars running under the Soroksári Road distillery Unicum today is aged in 500 different oak casks

Unicum Plum

An intersection of unique hungarian products

As with Unicum, Unicum Plum is made from the distillation and extraction of more than 40 selected herbs and spices. Dried plums are then added to the blend of the two procedures and the liqueur is subsequently further aged in oak casks. Unicum Plum is the first herbal liqueur in the world that is aged on a bed of dried plums: it maintains the strong character of Unicum but with a round, velvety finish. It has an abv of 34,5%

Centuries of history

The unique nature of this drink is guaranteed by Unicum itself. The secret family recipe has remained the same, just like the method of aging the liqueur in oak casks, so Unicum Plum preserved its traditional qualities.

Yet still unique

Like Unicum, Plum has the same secret process of preparing. The only difference between the two Unicums is that Plum is the first herb liqueur in the world to be also aged on dried plums which gives this new Zwack liqueur a distinctive harmony and a rounded, velvety and fruity taste. Unicum classic is aged in red,Unicum Plum is aged in gold edged barrels.

Unicum Riserva

Ageing Unicum in the 80-year-old cask

A termék alapját képező Unicumot a budapesti, Soroksári úti pincerendszer legnagyobb és legidősebb – 80 éves hordójában érleljük.
A hosszú évtizedek során a hordó dongáiban képződött speciális anyag, az úgynevezett „fekete méz” karakteresebbé teszi a benne készült Unicumot.

Ageing in Tokaji Aszú barriques

The secondary ageing is in a Tokaji Aszú cask where for years this legendary wine has aged in the cellars of Tokaj. Thus Unicum Riserva combines in perfect harmony the intriguing and exotic herbs with the seductive honeyed essence of Tokaj.

Perfect Serve

Pour Unicum Riserva over three big ice cubes.

Unicum Barista

Unicum with Arabica coffee

Unicum is made from over 40 medicinal herbs, Arabica coffee extract and distillate, and aged in oak barrels. This is Unicum Barista.

The meeting of Unicum and Arabica coffee

The result of nearly three years of development work, we present Unicum Barista. Unicum Barista innovatively combines the traditions of bitter liqueur consumption and coffee drinking, with Unicum and Arabica coffee as its main ingredients. The drink gains its final character through oak barrel maturation.

With Arabica coffee extract, aged in oak barrels

“We are very pleased that in this extraordinary and challenging period we can report on a development with the introduction of Unicum Barista, which is an important milestone in the life of Zwack Unicum and in the domestic history of liqueur production and coffee. We have come a long way in recent years to create a special drink that faithfully reflects the domestic traditions of these two areas in every element,” said Sándor Zwack, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zwack Unicum Plc.

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