Unicum is a Hungarian

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 herbal bitters

Bitters

A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...

, drunk as a digestif and apéritif

Aperitif

Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...

.

Unicum is an herbal digestif liqueur. The liqueur is today produced by Zwack according to a secret formula of more than forty herbs, and the drink is aged in oak casks. During the Socialist regime in Hungary, the Zwack family lived in exile in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, and during this time, Unicum in Hungary was produced using a different formula. However, before moving to the States, Janos Zwack had entrusted a family friend in Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

 with the production of Unicum based on the original recipe. After the fall of communism, Péter Zwack returned to Hungary and resumed production of the original Unicum.

Recently Zwack has launched "Unicum Next", a thinner-bodied drink with a more prominent citrus flavour. Unicum is regarded as one of the national drinks of Hungary. The production facility offers tours which include a tasting session of the three different varieties (Unicum, Unicum Next, and Millenicum). Though Millenicum was a special edition, it can still be found at a few retailers. It is somewhat stronger than the original, with a slightly sweeter aftertaste. Zwack Frissitők is a pineapple-based version of the drink. Unicum is available through select spirits distributors throughout the United States, as is Unicum Next, re-branded as "Zwack

Zwack liqueur

Zwack is an 80 proof herbal liqueur made in Hungary with a secret blend of more than 40 different herbs and spices. It is known as the National Shot of Hungary, is produced by Unicum Zwack, plc, in Budapest, Hungary, and is now imported into the US by Diageo.-History:Unicum was created by Dr...

".

See also

• Zwack liqueur
  Zwack liqueur
  Zwack is an 80 proof herbal liqueur made in Hungary with a secret blend of more than 40 different herbs and spices. It is known as the National Shot of Hungary, is produced by Unicum Zwack, plc, in Budapest, Hungary, and is now imported into the US by Diageo.-History:Unicum was created by Dr...
  
   made from the same recipe (but not bitters)
• National symbols of Hungary
  National symbols of Hungary
  The national symbols of Hungary are flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Hungary or Hungarian culture...