The Story of Unicum
According to legend, the story began in the Imperial Court in 1790 when the namesake, Dr. Zwack, the court physician, first offered Emperor Joseph II his special herbal liqueur.

The legendary company itself was founded in 1840, and the drink, sold in a round bottle with a red cross on the label, was officially registered in 1883. Within 50 years, by 1892, the factory had grown, and it moved to its current location on Soroksári Road.

The iconic poster, the "Waterman" created by Viktor Pachl, was born in the early 20th century, in 1909. Shortly afterward, during the time of Zwack János and Béla, the Great Depression broke out, and due to the alcohol prohibition in the USA, export sales declined, so the company temporarily began producing light bulbs and fluorescent tubes.

During World War II, the Zwack factory was completely destroyed. Although the family rebuilt and modernized it in 4 years, it was nationalized in the autumn of 1948 without compensation. Therefore, in Hungary, Unicum was made based on a counterfeit recipe until 1958, when Zwack János, who was living in America, won the lawsuit for the family trademarks. His son, Zwack Péter, revived the brand in Italy in the 1970s and then brought Unicum "back home" after the regime change.

After nearly 20 years, he passed on the leadership of the company to his children, Zwack Sándor and Izabella, who created Unicum Next in 2004, Unicum Plum in 2012, and in 2017, entered the super-premium category with Unicum Riserva.

Craft Secrets
Selected Ingredients, Traditional Recipe
The base of Unicum is a closely guarded family recipe, which has remained a secret for six generations.

The drink contains more than 40 types of herbs and spices from five continents, and to this day, these ingredients are measured by hand. Some ingredients are even dosed by the Zwack family themselves.

The first part of the production process is extraction or "maceration." This is an extraction process where we draw out the essence of the herbs. In simple terms, we make an extract, and this gives Unicum its characteristic flavor and color!

In the case of Unicum, the extraction of herbs and spices is followed by distillation. This process, known as "distillation," is what creates Unicum's distinctive aroma.

Next comes the creation of the so-called "Unicum 60," which involves blending the components in wooden tubs, followed by aging in oak barrels, which gives Unicum its final flavor.

Consistent Quality
The person responsible for maintaining the consistent quality of Unicum is the Master Distiller. After blending, the distiller tastes and evaluates the drink multiple times along with a tasting panel, which also includes members of the Zwack family. If approved, the product is then allowed for commercial release.

The Meeting of Hungarian Treasures
The first herbal liqueur that rests on a bed of dried plums and matures in oak barrels.

In Unicum Plum, Hungarian traditions come together to create something truly exceptional. Made according to the original secret method, the liqueur’s uniqueness is guaranteed by the Unicum itself.

In this drink, the native Hungarian plum is a worthy companion to the herbal liqueur, which is crafted according to the 230-year-old recipe.

Unicum Szilva, just like Unicum, is made from over 40 carefully selected herbal extracts and distillates that carry the flavors of five continents. Its harmonious fruitiness is enhanced by maturing on a bed of dried plums in oak barrels, where the carefully dried, high-quality plums retain their genuine flavor.

Debuting in 2012, Unicum Szilva was relaunched with a new look in 2019.

Unicum with Arabica Coffee Extract, Aged in Oak Barrels
As the result of nearly three years of development work, we proudly introduced the newest member of the Unicum family in November 2020: Unicum Barista.

Unicum Barista is nothing less than Unicum aged in oak barrels with Arabica coffee extract.
Both the tradition of bitter liqueurs and coffee drinking have centuries-old histories in many European countries, including Hungary. Unicum Barista innovatively combines these two traditions, with its primary ingredients being Unicum and Arabica coffee. The drink attains its final character through oak barrel aging.

"We are proud to present a development that marks an important milestone in both the history of Zwack Unicum and the domestic tradition of liqueur production and coffee drinking. We’ve come a long way in recent years to create such a special drink that truly reflects the traditions of both fields in Hungary," said Sándor Zwack, Chairman of the Board of Zwack Unicum Plc.

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Super Premium Herbal Liqueur – The Birth of a New Category
In early 2017, Hungary and Europe saw the introduction of the first-ever super-premium herbal liqueur, Unicum Riserva, distinguished by its unique manufacturing process, specifically the "double barrel" aging method.

The base of this product, Unicum, is aged in the largest and oldest 80-year-old cask in the Soroksári cellar system, in line with international distillation practices. Its character is shaped over decades by the formation of a special substance known as "black honey" in the cask staves, lending the drink a smoother, more complex flavor. It then undergoes further aging in Gönci casks. The second phase of aging adds roundness, softness, fruity-spicy harmonies, and the unmistakable flavors of Tokaj to the final product.

Finally, to highlight and round out these characteristics, Unicum Riserva is enhanced with Tokaj Aszú from the 2007 vintage of the Dobogó Winery.