Herbal Bitters

Hungarian Herbal Bitters and Liqueurs

Discover our collection of Hungarian herbal bitters from the historic Zwack family, including the original bittersweet liqueur and four distinctive plum, coffee, orange and Tokaji Aszú-influenced expressions. Made with complex combinations of herbs and spices, these characterful drinks can be served as aperitifs, enjoyed after dinner or used to bring aromatic depth to cocktails.

Herbal bitters balance botanical bitterness with sweetness, warming spice and carefully controlled maturation. Unlike cocktail bitters used only in drops or dashes, these are full-strength herbal liqueurs meant to be enjoyed by the glass, neat, chilled, or over ice.

A Family Story Dating Back to 1790

The Zwack company was established in 1840 and moved to its present Budapest home beside the Danube in 1892. The business was later nationalised during Hungary’s Communist period, but fifth-generation family member Péter Zwack returned to Hungary and, with the Underberg family, repurchased the distillery.

Best of Hungary co-founder Zoltan Kopacsi visited the House of Unicum museum in Budapest before selecting the range. There he explored the family’s remarkable history and learned how its closely guarded recipe and traditional production methods survived political upheaval, exile and more than two centuries of change.

More Than Forty Herbs and Spices

The original liqueur is produced from more than forty herbs and spices sourced from the Carpathian Basin and further afield. Approximately half are macerated in alcohol to extract their rich flavours, while the remainder are distilled to capture their more delicate aromas.

The two extracts are blended in traditional wooden vats under the supervision of the master distiller and a Zwack family-led tasting committee. The spirit is then matured in oak beneath the historic Soroksári Road distillery, where an extensive cellar containing around 500 casks gives the liqueur its final depth, rounded texture and complex bouquet.

Five Distinctive Herbal Liqueurs

The original Hungarian herbal liqueur is the most intense expression, combining pronounced botanical bitterness with warming spice, menthol freshness and a lingering bittersweet finish. It is the natural starting point for anyone wishing to experience the classic family recipe.

Unicum Szilva is matured with dried plums, giving the familiar herbal base a rounder, softer and more fruit-forward character. It was the first herbal liqueur of its kind to be aged on a bed of dried plums and provides an approachable introduction to the range.

Unicum Barista brings together two enduring after-dinner traditions: herbal liqueur and strong coffee. Developed over almost three years, it incorporates aromatic Arabica coffee extract and distillate before oak maturation, producing a deeply bittersweet coffee liqueur suited to cocktails, desserts or serving over ice.

Unicum Orange Bitter was inspired by the Italian custom of serving the original liqueur with a slice of orange. Its vivid citrus character brightens the herbal base, making it particularly enjoyable over ice with fresh orange.

For cocktail drinkers, Orange Bitter can also be explored as a more complex, herbal alternative to Campari in a premium Negroni-style serve. Its flavour and strength differ from Campari, so you can adjust proportions to taste when combining it with gin and sweet vermouth.

Double-Matured Riserva with Tokaji Aszú

At the premium end of the collection, Unicum Riserva undergoes two distinct stages of maturation. It is first aged in the largest and oldest 80-year-old cask in the historic Budapest cellar, then transferred to authentic oak casks previously used to mature Tokaji Aszú sweet wine.

The spirit is then enriched with 2007 Tokaji Aszú from Dobogó Winery. Its intense herbal bitterness is enveloped by a silkier layer of honeyed apricot, dried fruit, winter spice and the luscious complexity associated with botrytised Tokaji. The result is a luxury Hungarian digestif for slow appreciation and a compelling alternative for drinkers exploring prestigious aged amari and other premium after-dinner liqueurs.

Hungary’s Answer to Italian Amaro

For drinkers familiar with the current revival of premium Italian amari, this collection offers a distinctly Hungarian take on the same bittersweet botanical tradition.

How to Drink Herbal Bitters

Serve traditional herbal bitters chilled and neat in a small glass, over ice, or before or after a meal. The original expression delivers the firmest botanical bitterness, while Szilva, Barista and Orange Bitter offer progressively fruitier, sweeter or more cocktail-friendly interpretations.

These liqueurs can also add complexity to a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Negroni or spritz-style drink. Barista pairs naturally with coffee, chocolate, ice cream and rich desserts, while Orange Bitter works particularly well with tonic water, citrus and sparkling mixers. Riserva is best given time to open in the glass and enjoyed slowly over ice or neat.

Buy Herbal Bitters Online in the UK

Explore five distinctive expressions from one of Hungary’s most historic drink families, available online with fast UK delivery. For gin, vodka and other drinks from leading Hungarian distillers, visit our broader Hungarian spirits collection.