Zwack Unicum Museum

Also known as Zwack Unicum Múzeum

Unicum is Hungary's national herbal bitter, a dark brown liqueur with a secret blend of over 40 herbs, and the Zwack family distillery in Budapest is where it has been made since 1790 with one interruption: when the communists nationalized the factory in 1948, a Zwack family member smuggled the recipe to New York.

The Zwack Unicum Museum in Budapest is the distillery and museum for Hungary’s national herbal bitter, made since 1790. The bottle, round and dark with a red cross, is one of the most recognizable in Central European liquor culture. The museum tells the family’s full history: the Habsburg-era founding, the communist nationalization of 1948, the Zwack family smuggling the recipe to New York in exile, 40 years of a modified recipe being made while the communists produced their approximation, and the return to Budapest after 1990 to resume production from the original formula. The museum ends with a tasting. Adults approximately EUR 10-12. In the 9th district, about 10 minutes by tram from the Great Market Hall. Monday to Saturday 10:00-17:00.