Pálinka and Tradition

About Pálinka

Every drink has its own beauty but pálinka is a bit different, in a way it is more special than the others. Beer is soothing, it sets you at ease. Wine inspires and tempts you. Pálinka is the rebirth of the fruit derived from bright sunshine. It will not coax you or demand, neither bargain. It just exists in its crystal clear reality, just like wisdom.

What can we call Pálinka?

According to the Pálinka law a genuine pálinka must be in accordance with six conditions:

• It is a distillate made from a 100% fruit, which must not contain any additives (not even honey for example).
• Its raw material cannot be anything but wild fruit grown exclusively in Hungary or improved high-quality fruit cultivated solely in Hungary, or skins of pressed grapes and skins of pressed grapes dried on the vine. (Imported fruit does not fulfil the requirements).
• The fruit or the skins of pressed grape have been mashed, distilled, mellowed and bottled in Hungary
• It should have an alcohol content of at least 37.5%, v/v (the uppermost criterion is that it should be under 86% v/v, which means it can be higher that 50%, too).
• Its name can only be written in the form of pálinka (palinca and other word forms do not comply with the specification).

The name Pálinka can only be used in Hungary (however four Austrian provinces also have the right to use the name „barackpálinka”).

About pálinka consumption

Good quality pálinka gives back the aroma and flavour of the given fruit, its taste lasts long in the mouth, in its taste and aroma you can recognise without any confusion the aroma of the fruit from which it is made. It has got a pleasant scent, when you hold it against light you can see its translucent glitter. Its recommended consumption temperature is 18-20 °C. Do not believe those who recommend drinking it chilled since its flavour and aroma matters remain locked up that way. It is only advisable to cool bad quality pálinka.

Pot-still pálinkas – Tradition, which we are proud of

Basically, Pálinkas can be made through two types of distillation procedures. One uses an aroma intensifier device, also called tower, which has only been present in our country for a few decades. The other is the traditional pot-still going back to centuries. Pot-still pálinkas are made in a copper tank not bigger than a volume of 1000 litres through a two-stage, that is a double distillation procedure. Pot-still pálinkas have stronger flavour, they offer a more characteristic aroma. And so do pálinkas from Szamosszeg, of course.