Zwack Unicum Co

Zwack Unicom is an herbal digestif liqueur, a blend of over 40 herbs and spices, known as the “national shot of Hungary.” The original recipe was invented in 1790 by Dr. Jósef Zwack, then the Royal Physician of Habsburg, Austria, for Hungarian Emperor Joseph II. In 1840, his son, Jozsef Zwack, founded J. Zwack & Co. to become one of the leading distilleries in central Europe. During WWII, the original factory in Budapest was destroyed and the country fell to the Russian Communists. The Zwack family was forced to flee, but luckily Peter Zwack had the original recipe. Bela Zwack stayed behind, giving the Russians a fake recipe that was produced regardless. Janos and Peter Zwack escaped to the US. Legend has it they were granted entry at Ellis Island soley because of the recipe they had in their possession. During their time in the states, they learned the tricks and trade of the spirits industry. In the late 1980s, Peter Zwack returned to Hungary and was able to purchase the Zwack company back from the state. In 1990, after the fall of Communism, Zwack production resumed with the original recipe. In the same year, Peter became Hungarian ambassador to the US. His children Sandor and Izabella now run the company and in 2008, launched the original Zwack formula to the US and internationally. 

 

Zwack is best served chilled neat.