●ATLAS

RECORD zwack-unicum · EVIDENCE GRADE A · UNCLAIMED · LAST VERIFIED 2026-07-04

Zwack Unicum

Budapest · Hungary · 47.498, 19.041

REGION: central europeTRADITION: KeserűlikőrEST. 1840WEBSITE ↗

ZONE 01 — VERIFIED FACTS

Founded
József Zwack founded his first distillery in 1840 and registered Unicum as a commercial brand; the recipe legend is dated to 1790, credited to Dr. Zwack, court physician to Emperor Joseph IIA·2
Headquarters
1095 Budapest, Soroksári út 26, HungaryA·1
Nationalization & return
Factory nationalized without compensation in autumn 1948; Péter Zwack returned to Hungary in 1987-88 and repurchased the business from the state in the 1992 privatization (Peter Zwack & Consorten AG establishing Zwack Unicum Rt.)A·2
Current leadership
Led by the sixth generation of the family, siblings Sándor Zwack and Izabella ZwackA·1
Leadership handover
Péter Zwack handed over leadership of the company to his children Sándor and Izabella Zwack in 2008C·5
Corporate structure
Publicly listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange as Zwack Unicum Nyrt. (ticker ZWACK)C·5
Distribution
Products available in over 35 countries across 5 continents, per the official history pageA·2
Flagship recipe
Unicum is described as using 'more than 40 medicinal herbs,' with the exact bill kept secretA·1

ZONE 02 — AI-COLLATED SUMMARY

AI-ASSISTED · FROM GRADED PUBLIC SOURCES

Zwack Unicum Nyrt. is a Hungarian producer headquartered at Soroksári út 26, Budapest. Its flagship herbal liqueur, Unicum — 'more than 40 medicinal herbs', exact bill secret — traces to a 1790 recipe credited to Dr. Zwack, court physician to Emperor Joseph II; József Zwack founded the commercial distillery in 1840. Nationalized without compensation in 1948, the business was repurchased by Péter Zwack in the 1992 privatization after his 1987-88 return to Hungary. Sixth-generation siblings Sándor and Izabella Zwack have led since 2008. The publicly listed company distributes to over 35 countries.

AI-collated from the graded sources below; adversarially verified against S1-S6 on 2026-07-04; operator review pending.

ZONE 03 — PRODUCER-SUBMITTED NOTES

This record is unclaimed. This space opens to the producer when they claim it. Is this your amaro? Claim this record →

PRODUCTS ON RECORD

Unicum

40% ABV

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY bitterRING familyTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “special herbal liqueur”

Hungary's flagship herbal digestif, macerated and distilled from a secret bill of 40+ medicinal herbs and roots, then aged in oak casks for six months. Regarded as one of the national drinks of Hungary.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 0 GRADED EDGES

NO GRADED BOTANICAL EDGES YET.

DESCRIPTORS

  • fennel and anise ▮▮▮▮▮C·4
  • sarsaparilla and tobacco ▮▮▮▮▮C·4
  • espresso and bitter cacao ▮▮▮▮▮C·4
  • sweet liquorice ▮▮▮▮▮C·4
  • chilli-heat finish ▮▮▮▮▮C·4

Unicum Plum

34.5% ABV · 700ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY classicoRING coreTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “herb liqueur aged on dried plums”

Unicum Szilva (Plum) is made from the same base of more than 40 herbal extracts and distillates as the flagship Unicum, then aged on a bed of dried plums stacked in oak barrels for added fruit character. The plums are gently dried by the producer to preserve their natural flavour before use.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 2 GRADED EDGES

  • mixed herbal extracts and distillates (proprietary bill, 40+) · base bittering chargeA·7
  • dried plum · aging/flavouring mediumA·7

DESCRIPTORS

Unicum Barista

34.5% ABV · 700ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY classicoRING coreTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “herb liqueur blended with coffee extract”

Unicum Barista pairs the iconic Unicum herbal base with 100% Arabica coffee extract, part of it sourced from the Hungarian-owned Banyai Coffee Plantation in Costa Rica, then matured in oak for added depth. The producer positions it as a bridge between traditional herb liqueur and coffee liqueur.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 2 GRADED EDGES

  • mixed herbal extracts and distillates (proprietary bill, 40+) · base bittering chargeA·8
  • Arabica coffee extract · principal flavouringA·8

DESCRIPTORS

Unicum Riserva

40% ABV · 700ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY classicoRING coreTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “super-premium double-aged herb liqueur”

Unicum Riserva is Zwack's super-premium double-aged expression: the base Unicum first matures in the distillery's oldest cask (over 85 years in continuous use, coated in what the producer calls black honey), then finishes in casks from the Zwack family's Dobogo Winery previously used for Tokaji wine, picking up dried-apricot and mellow fruit notes alongside the classic bittersweet profile.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 1 GRADED EDGES

  • mixed herbal extracts and distillates (proprietary bill, 40+) · base bittering chargeA·11

DESCRIPTORS

St. Hubertus Original

33% ABV · 700ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY — (family ring)RING familyTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “classic Hungarian herbal liqueur”

St. Hubertus Original is a Hungarian herbal liqueur made to a secret recipe held since 1901, built on hand-picked herbs and orange and wormwood extracts, then aged in oak barrels. It won a gold medal at the 2020 World Spirits Award.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 2 GRADED EDGES

  • orange · principal flavouringA·13
  • wormwood · bittering agentA·13

DESCRIPTORS

St. Hubertus 33

33% ABV · 500ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY — (family ring)RING familyTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “smoother easy-drinking herbal liqueur”

St. Hubertus 33 is a refined, more approachable variant on the 1901 house recipe, built from wormwood, anise and orange blossom, with a soft aniseed note, then aged in oak. The producer positions it as an easier entry point than the Original for newcomers to herbal liqueurs.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 4 GRADED EDGES

  • wormwood · bittering agentA·13
  • anise · flavouringA·13
  • orange blossom · flavouringA·13
  • licorice · flavouringA·15

DESCRIPTORS

St. Hubertus 60

60% ABV · 700ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY — (family ring)RING familyTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “unfiltered high-proof herbal liqueur”

Introduced in 2021, St. Hubertus 60 is the unfiltered, high-proof edition of the house recipe, combining the brand's 120-year tradition with a modern innovation drive. The producer markets it as a rare, intense format for connoisseurs.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 2 GRADED EDGES

  • orange · principal flavouringA·13
  • wormwood · bittering agentA·13

DESCRIPTORS

St. Hubertus Wild Berries and Herbs

33% ABV · 500ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY — (family ring)RING familyTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “enhanced herbal liqueur with wild fruit and forest herbs”

St. Hubertus with Wild Berries and Herbs is an enhanced take on the house recipe, built around elderberry, blackberry and juniper alongside forest herbs including Transylvanian sage and sweet cicely, with the extracts oak-aged. The producer describes the fruit as balancing the bitter backbone of the base Hubertus.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 5 GRADED EDGES

  • elderberry · fruit flavouringA·13
  • blackberry · fruit flavouringA·13
  • juniper · aromatic/bittering noteA·13
  • sage · herbal flavouringA·13
  • sweet cicely · herbal flavouringA·13

DESCRIPTORS

St. Hubertus Blood Orange

32% ABV · 500ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY — (family ring)RING adjacentTRADITION KeserűlikőrSELF-IDENTIFIED “citrus-forward herbal liqueur”

St. Hubertus Blood Orange extends the family recipe with blood orange and orange peel extract layered over the medicinal herbal base, giving a lighter, more citrus-forward, less overtly bitter drink than its Hubertus stablemates. The producer suggests serving it as a shot, on ice, or with tonic.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 2 GRADED EDGES

  • blood orange · principal flavouringA·13
  • orange peel extract · flavouringA·13

DESCRIPTORS

SERVES

ZONE 04 — COMMUNITY TASTING NOTES

RESERVED — community notes open in V2 with moderation and bias handling. The contributions ledger is already recording.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Where is Zwack Unicum made?
Zwack Unicum is made in Budapest, Hungary, and was founded in 1840.
What style of amaro is Zwack Unicum?
On The Amaro Atlas, Unicum is recorded in the family ring, bitter subcategory, within the Keserűlikőr tradition. The producer describes it as "special herbal liqueur".

SOURCES — A–D GRADED (16)

  1. [1]AZwack Unicum – Hivatalos oldal (official homepage) · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-04
  2. [2]ATörténet (Company History) · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-04
  3. [3]AUnicum product page · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-04Supports ABV 40% and the producer's own style wording ('különleges gyógynövénylikőr' / special herbal liqueur); no herb count or ageing detail on this page
  4. [4]CZwack Unicum (producer/product profile) · Difford's Guide · database · accessed 2026-07-04Supports tasting descriptors, 40% ABV, maceration/distillation of 40+ herbs and roots, and six months' oak ageing. Botanical terms appear only as tasting notes, NOT as an ingredient list
  5. [5]CZwack (company Wikipedia page) · Wikipedia · other · accessed 2026-07-04Wikipedia is always graded C. Gives a conflicting privatization account (return 1988, repurchase 1989) vs the producer's own history page (1987-88 return, 1992 privatization)
  6. [6]CUnicum (product Wikipedia page) · Wikipedia · other · accessed 2026-07-04Wikipedia is always graded C. Retained to support the 'one of the national drinks of Hungary' description claim
  7. [7]AUnicum Plum (Unicum Szilva) product page · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05Re-fetched: confirms 34.5% ABV directly, 40+ herbal extracts, dried-plum oak aging.
  8. [8]AUnicum Barista product page · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05Re-fetched: no ABV stated on page; confirms Arabica coffee extract, Banyai Coffee Plantation (Costa Rica), oak maturation. ABV corroborated via Wine-Searcher.
  9. [9]BZwack Unicum Barista Liqueur · Wine-Searcher · database · accessed 2026-07-05Re-fetched: confirms Alcohol ABV 34.5% (listed twice on page).
  10. [10]CUnicum Barista Zwack Liqueur 700ML · CaskCartel · press · accessed 2026-07-05
  11. [11]AUnicum Riserva product page · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05Re-fetched: no ABV stated on page; confirms double-aging (85-year cask + Dobogo Winery ex-Tokaji casks), dried apricot, mellow/bittersweet profile. This is cask-finishing of a spirit base in ex-wine casks, not a wine-based product -- does not trigger the wine-base hard exclusion, analogous to sherry/port-cask-finished whisky.
  12. [12]BZwack Unicum Riserva Liqueur · Wine-Searcher · database · accessed 2026-07-05Re-fetched: confirms Alcohol ABV 40% (listed twice on page); style classed as Liqueur - Herb - Spice, not wine.
  13. [13]ASt. Hubertus product page (covers Original, 33, 60, Wild Berries and Herbs, Blood Orange) · Zwack Unicum Nyrt. · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05Re-fetched: confirms orange+wormwood (Original), wormwood+anise+orange blossom (33), elderberry/blackberry/juniper + Transylvanian sage/sweet cicely (Wild Berries and Herbs), unfiltered 60-proof description (60), blood orange + orange peel extract + tonic serve (Blood Orange). Family-level ABV stated as 32%, 33%, 60% -- 60 is unambiguously the 60% SKU; 32 vs 33 split across Original/33/Wild Berries/Blood Orange not itemised per-SKU on this page, so per-product ABV for those four rests on drafted figures corroborated by producer-listed range plus individual retailer pages (zwackwebshop).
  14. [14]ASt. Hubertus Original product listing · Zwack Webshop (producer-owned) · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05
  15. [15]ASt. Hubertus 33 product listing · Zwack Webshop (producer-owned) · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05
  16. [16]ASt. Hubertus Wild Berries and Herbs product listing · Zwack Webshop (producer-owned) · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-05Used for descriptor corroboration only (sweet-sour, oak-aged); core botanical facts sourced from src-zwack-hubertus-page.

A producer-official / regulatory · B reputable published · C secondary · D community/unverified

See something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction — a person reviews every change and each fact keeps its A–D grade.

SHARE THIS RECORD

Zwack Unicum on The Amaro Atlas — badge preview

The badge links readers to this record. Paste the snippet anywhere HTML goes — a site footer, a press page, a newsletter.

<a href="https://amaroatlas.com/producers/zwack-unicum?ref=badge" rel="noopener"><img src="https://amaroatlas.com/badge/zwack-unicum" width="260" height="54" alt="Zwack Unicum on The Amaro Atlas" loading="lazy" style="border:0"></a>

The Amaro Atlas · Monthly Dispatch

New to the Atlas, once a month

New producer additions, one serve worth making, and a note from the bitterness-science desk.

A short welcome, then one email a month · privacy