Pálinka is Hungary’s most prized beverage: a distilled drink prepared from the most delicious fruits. This special spirit is a must try for everyone who set their foot in Hungary – but it’s important that you do that at a venue worthy for our national liquor.
The main difference that sets pálinka apart from other alcoholic beverages like whiskey and vodka is that it’s made not from grain, but from 100% real fruits, and contains no additives other than crystal clear water.
For this reason, even though in general pálinka has an alcoholic content of 40% (and stronger versions are not uncommon), it’s not the alcohol, but more the fruity notes and unique aromas that dominate its taste.
The most common varieties of pálinka are plum, apricot and pear, but cherry and grape are also common, while you can also find pálinka made from quince, wild cherry, raspberry, or sloe.
For a litre of raspberry pálinka you’ll need 22 kg of the fruit, while only 8 kg apricots suffice for making a bottle.
Pálinka is a drink to be cherished. You don’t down it like a shot, but consume it slowly, sip-by-sip, savouring it, so that its aromas may have time to unfold. If you’ve finally decided to give pálinka a go, it’s best if you have your first taste somewhere that has its own staff of pálinka experts, ensuring that your first encounter with the Hungarian fruit brandy will be a memorable experience. To that end, we recommend that you visit Pálinka Museum Shop Bar, located under 20 Király utca, right in the heart of the Party District. Here you can learn about the exciting history of the spirit through an interactive exhibition, complete with digital tools, make your own distillate, and taste or buy a variety of pálinka specialties.
Since pálinka is made from a range of fruits, we encourage you to sample more than one kind. It’s actually one of the biggest advantages pálinka has over other internationally renowned spirits: there are so many flavours of pálinka that it’s virtually impossible that you won’t find a variety suited for your liking. Get a bottle of pálinka as a gift to your friends or family so that they, too, can learn what the Hungarian spirit is all about!
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