Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/26650
U.S, is quite a feat. Z Born and raised in Florence, Italy, the statuesque and worldly Isabella Zwack met with us in San Francisco to share the story—and a few savory sips—of Zwack. Escape from Hungary Josef Zwack was an 18th century physician to the Imperial Court of Hungary, for whom, in 1790, he created a delicate herbal “remedy” concocted from 40 herbs and spices. From 1840 to 1944, the secreted recipe was enjoyed by an entire nation, and Zwack was elevated to become Hungary’s most cherished spirit. During World War II, after the Germans invaded Budapest, privately-owned businesses throughout Hungary were destroyed and families were sent to work camps, or worse, killed. Later, “the communist Hungarian government claimed the keys to the factory,” explains Isabella Zwack. “They also demanded the recipe.” While her father, Peter Zwack, escaped in 1944, temporar- ily heading to Ellis Island, her uncle Bela stayed behind to hand over the “secret formula” for Zwack to the communists. He gave them a fake. Zwack is Back Peter Zwack moved his family to Italy, where they started producing the original spirit once again. “We were rootless, living in Italy. All we had was our family business,” declares Isabella, speaking of her Hungarian father and English mother. In 1988, a year before the Iron Curtain fell, Isabella’s father discovered that the Hungarian state was about to privatize the factory. “We bought it back,” she said proudly. The next year, Zwack was back in their homeland, “in the same bottle design from 220 years ago.” The business became the fi rst privately-held company in post-communist Hungary. In 1990, then-President George Bush named Peter Zwack U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. Although sold under the name Zwack Unicum in Budapest, Zwack, in its original formula, continues to be the National Shot of Hungary, and the oldest in the world. “There’s no family name associated with [the leading brand of] herbal liqueur,” she intimates. Zwack is imported by Diageo North America. wack has pedigree. For an herbal liqueur to continue to carry a family name, to survive over 200 years amid wars, hostile government intervention and commu- nist control and to resurface in the 21st century in the “When they took over production,” says Isabella, “they were using a fake recipe. We were able to fl ee with the real one.” For the next 40 years, Unicum, as it came to be known, had quite a different profi le from the authentic original. Sealed with a Zwack Z wack is a mixable liqueur with a unique taste. The 220-year-old recipe, which remains a secret today, is a blend of 40 herbs and spices gathered from all over the world. Some of the herbs and spices are distilled, others are macerated; the components are blended and then aged in Hungarian oak for more than six months. The nose of this deep amber spirit immediately denotes sarsa- parilla and cinnamon, with a hint of orange rind and clove, rhubarb, honey and quinine. On the palate, milk chocolate is calmed by a stoic minerality. Heather and orange peel linger through a long, meditative fi nish. THE ZWACKHATTAN ■ ■ ■ 1 part Crown Royal Canadian whisky 1 part Zwack herbal liqueur 1 part vermouth The Lucky Hungarian is a signature cocktail at Waterbar in San Francisco. The drink combines equal parts of Zwack, Baileys and Bushmills. Isabella Zwack and Waterbar (San Francisco) Beverage Director Steve Izzo. march 201 1 / the tasting panel / 71