Herbal Bitters

Hungarian Herbal Bitters and Liqueurs

Discover Zwack Unicum, Hungary's iconic family of herbal bitters: from the original oak-aged classic to distinctive plum, coffee, blood orange and Tokaji Aszú-influenced expressions. Made with complex blends of herbs and spices, these characterful drinks are equally at home as aperitifs, after-dinner digestifs and deeply aromatic cocktail ingredients.

Unlike cocktail bitters used only in drops or dashes, Unicum is a full-strength herbal liqueur made to be enjoyed by the glass. Its signature style balances botanical bitterness with warming spice, subtle sweetness and patient oak maturation: serve it neat, chilled, over ice or in a classic cocktail with a more distinctive Hungarian twist.

A Family Story Dating Back to 1790

The Unicum recipe dates back to 1790, while the Zwack company was established in 1840 and moved to its present Budapest home beside the Danube in 1892. The business was nationalised during Hungary's Communist period, but Péter Zwack later returned to Hungary and, with the Underberg family, repurchased the distillery and rebuilt the family business.

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 endured through political upheaval, exile and more than two centuries of change.

More Than Forty Herbs and Spices

Original Unicum is made from more than forty herbs and spices sourced from the Carpathian Basin and further afield. Around half are macerated in alcohol to extract their deeper, richer 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 Zwack's master distiller and family-led tasting committee. The spirit then matures in oak beneath the historic Soroksári Road distillery in Budapest, where a cellar of around 500 casks contributes its rounded texture, depth and complex bouquet.

Five Distinctive Herbal Liqueurs

Zwack Unicum is the most intense and classically herbal expression, with firm botanical bitterness, warming spice, menthol freshness and a long bittersweet finish.

Unicum Szilva is matured with real dried plums, giving the familiar herbal base a rounder, softer and more fruit-led character. It is a particularly approachable introduction to the Unicum range.

Unicum Barista combines Unicum's herbal depth with aromatic Arabica coffee extract and distillate before oak maturation. Its roasted, bittersweet character makes it particularly satisfying over ice, in coffee-led cocktails or alongside dark chocolate desserts.

Unicum Orange Bitter takes inspiration from the Italian custom of serving Unicum with orange. Sicilian Sanguinello blood orange brings bright citrus lift to the herbal base, making it especially good over ice, in a tonic highball or in a more complex spritz.

For cocktail drinkers, Orange Bitter can also be explored as a more botanical, herbal alternative to Campari in a Negroni-style serve. Its flavour and strength differ from Campari, so adjust the 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 first rests in Zwack's largest and oldest historic oak cask in the Budapest cellar, then moves to oak casks previously used at Izabella Zwack's Dobogó Winery to mature Tokaji Aszú.

During this second stage, a small quantity of 6 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú is blended in. The result is a mellower, more layered herbal bitter, with dried apricot, warm oak, winter spice and honeyed Tokaji richness surrounding Unicum's distinctive botanical core. It is a luxury Hungarian digestif for slow appreciation and a compelling alternative for drinkers exploring aged amari, premium whisky or other serious after-dinner spirits.

Hungary's Answer to Italian Amaro

For drinkers enjoying the revival of premium Italian amari, Unicum offers a distinctly Hungarian expression of the same bittersweet botanical tradition. Its history, secret recipe and unmistakable herbal profile make it less an imitation of Italian amaro than a fascinating tradition in its own right.

How to Drink Herbal Bitters

Serve traditional herbal bitters chilled and neat in a small glass, over ice, or before or after a meal. Original Unicum delivers the firmest botanical bitterness, while Szilva, Barista and Orange Bitter offer fruitier, coffee-led or citrus-bright interpretations.

These versatile liqueurs can also bring depth to a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Negroni or spritz-style serve. Barista is especially good with coffee, chocolate, ice cream and rich desserts; Orange Bitter works beautifully with tonic water, citrus and sparkling mixers; and Riserva deserves time to open in the glass, either neat or over ice.

Which Unicum Is Right for You?

Every Unicum begins with Zwack's signature world of herbs, spice and oak, but each expression has a distinct personality. Choose the original for classic bittersweet intensity, or explore fruit, coffee, citrus and Tokaji-led variations.

Zwack Unicum - The Classic Herbal Bitter

Choose it if: You enjoy traditional amari, Fernet-style bitters or a proper after-dinner digestif.

The original and most intensely herbal expression: bold, dry-leaning, bittersweet and complex, with more than 40 herbs and spices matured in oak. Serve well chilled and neat, over ice with orange or grapefruit, or use it to give a Black Manhattan or Toronto a deeply botanical edge.

Unicum Szilva - The Plum-Aged Choice

Choose it if: You prefer a rounder, more fruit-led herbal spirit or are discovering Unicum for the first time.

"Szilva" means plum in Hungarian. This gentler expression is matured with real dried plums, bringing ripe orchard fruit, warm oak and a softly sweeter impression to Unicum's bittersweet herbal core. Beautiful chilled after dinner, with ginger ale as a botanical highball, or alongside dark chocolate and walnut desserts.

Unicum Barista - For Coffee Lovers

Choose it if: You like espresso, dark chocolate and less syrupy coffee cocktails.

Arabica coffee gives Barista a roasted, espresso-led character while the original herbal structure and oak maturation keep it complex and grown-up. Enjoy it chilled after dinner, pour it over vanilla ice cream, make a drier Espresso Martini, or try a Coffee Tonic Highball with premium tonic water and lemon.

Unicum Orange Bitter - The Citrus Aperitivo

Choose it if: You enjoy orange aperitifs, bittersweet spritzes and bright, refreshing long drinks.

Sicilian Sanguinello blood orange brings vivid citrus lift to Unicum's oak-aged herbal depth. Serve over ice with an orange slice, lengthen with tonic water, or make a more complex spritz with Prosecco and soda. It is also particularly good with dark chocolate desserts and tiramisu.

Unicum Riserva - The Special-Occasion Bottle

Choose it if: You enjoy premium whisky, cognac, aged amari or are looking for a genuinely distinctive gift.

Riserva is double-aged, first in Zwack's historic Budapest oak cask and then in Tokaji Aszú casks from Dobogó Winery. A small quantity of 6 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú gives it a mellower, more layered profile of dried apricot, warm spice, oak and honeyed richness. Sip cool and neat, serve over ice with orange, or use it in a refined Manhattan or Old Fashioned.

Still Not Sure?

Start with original Unicum for the essential Hungarian herbal-bitter experience. Choose Szilva for fruit, Barista for coffee, Orange Bitter for citrus-led aperitivo drinks, or Riserva when the occasion calls for something slower, rarer and more gift-worthy.

Buy Herbal Bitters Online in the UK

Explore five distinctive expressions from one of Hungary's most historic drinks families, available online with fast UK delivery. For gin, vodka, pálinka and further characterful bottles from leading Hungarian distillers, browse our wider Hungarian spirits collection.