What is it?

It is a traditional Hungarian spirit that you will most probably pop into while staying in Hungary. It’s a key product on the drink list of Sziget festival and any Hungarian party place or pub. It is served as a shot, gently burning your throat on its way down. It’s made of fruits, not grains as many other spirits, so it’s fruity, tasty, natural and definitely worth trying! It has many flavors and types, so everyone can chose the most suitable! The alcohol content can be between 37.5% and 86% ABV.



Origins

Pálinka is in the veins of Hungarian history. It was first mentioned in written form in the 14th century and the success is unstoppable ever since. For a long time peasants made it in their backyards, but in the 17th century an official act set back the legality of homemade pálinkas. For this reason since the 18th century many illegal distilling is going on, a tendency alive today as well. But you can make your own treat up to 50 liters for strictly personal consumption.

After a long battle in the 20th century, to keep the pálinka and its original recipe alive, in 2002 pálinka was recognized by the European Union as a Hungarian specialty and it became a Hungaricum, so we are very proud of it!

How did it become the ‘IT’ drink?

For decades pálinka was considered as a drink made and consumed by villagers. Lately this has changed and now the fruity alcohol faces a serious increase in sales and quality. Now you can find it everywhere from hip clubs to pubs. However we must add that the appearance of ruin bars in Budapest in the early 2000s supported the massive urbanization of the drink.



How is it made?

After the harvest the fruits are first fermented, then the material heads to the distillery and finishes its route in a pretty bottle and stored for a while. For a liter of pálinka made of plum or apricot around 9-10 kilograms of fruit is needed, but if made of berries you would need 45 kilograms approximately. No sugar or artificial flavoring is added, so it’s a pure alcohol and we can make the argument that it is actually healthy in limited quantity.

Flavors

Anything considered as fruit is ready to end up in a pálinka. According to EU law, native fruits, herbs or pomaces grown in the Carpathian Basin region could be used for pálinka. The most popular flavors are: plum, apricot, apple, cherry, pear and grapes. You may also find specialties as elderflower, quince, blackberry and raspberry, so don’t be afraid to try them!

If you are travelling within Hungary or you visit the Hungaricum village at Sziget Festival you can meet some regions that have their own pálinka. The quality of these products is also protected by law according to the designation of origin. You should try these specialties, including the plum pálinka of Szatmár region, the apricot pálinka of Kecskemét city, the apple pálinka of Szabolcs region, the plum pálinka of Békés region, the apricot pálinka of Gönc city, the sour cherry pálinka of Újfehértó city, the pear pálinka of Göcsej region, or the grape pálinka of Pannonhalma city.



How to drink?

Easily. At the festival you usually get it in a small plastic cup, but at restaurants it is served in a pretty tulip-shaped glass. The important part of the drinking phase is the taste, therefore it is not served chilled, to allow the explosion of the flavors.

Pálinka vocabulary – Good to know

Ágyas pálinka (pálinka on a fruit bed): you can find dried fruits at the bottom of the bottle to make the liquid even tastier and fruiter
Házi Pálinka aka ‘HP’: home-made pálinka. You might see it in a plastic bottle of a soft drink with a barely readable handwriting with the flavor. If you go to villages, you will probably see a weird machine in the backyard in what usually grandfathers make it for the family and for the rest of the year out of fruits that have fallen from the tree.

Occasion to drink

Anytime and anywhere. If you want to live as a Hungarian there is no such thing as a special occasion to enjoy some pálinka. Whether its morning, harvest, a wedding, a christening you can drink it anytime. Even businessman seal the deal with a fine shot. If you feel sick or have stomach troubles you are also welcome to cure yourself with some hard-core bacteria killer spirit.

Fun Facts

Pálinkás (pálinka drinker or maker) is also a surname is Hungary, don’t make any early judgment
‘Pálinkás jó reggelt’ is a popular term meaning ‘Good morning with pálinka’ – a habit recommended for party animals!
In Hungarian they call some pálinkas ‘Kerítésszaggató’ meaning fence ripper, referred to the strength of the spirit
Hungarians say: “What you can make jam out of can also be used for pálinka.” Feel free to use your imagination!

What is the Hungarian word for “Cheers”?

Haha. We might need another post for Hungarian language, but we can try: EGÉSZSÉGEDRE ( ˈɛgeːʃːeːgɛdrɛ)

Source: Sziget Festival Budapest