The Legendary Unicum – if you’re looking for something unique

‘Das ist ein Unicum’, said Kaiser Joseph II when he first tasted the drink which was the predecessor of that now produced by the Zwack distillery. The emperor died that same year, but the special Hungarian bitter – a dark brown liqueur containing over forty varieties of herb – is still called Unicum. There is an interesting visitors’ centre and museum at the distillery.

Gödör, planned to be the new National Theatre

Gödör Club is now a park and a music venue that is called ‘The Pit’ in Hungarian, the widely-used nickname for the big hole in the ground left by unfinished construction for the National Theatre. The theatre was eventually built elsewhere, and only the garage reached near-completion on this site. A pleasant downtown meeting place for young people, crowded every night. (V. Erzsébet tér)

Fröccs – the favorite summer drink

The spritzer (fröccs) is a centuries-old tradition, probably originating in Austria, but the Hungarians went to extreme lengths in developing a system based on it, probably in the poverty-stricken 1950s. Just to be well-prepared, here is a crib-sheet you can take with you:

Name                              Wine                             Soda                                Meaning

Kisfröccs                          10cl                               10cl                                 small spritzer

Nagyfröccs                      20cl                                10cl                                 large spritzer

Hosszúlépés                    10cl                                20cl                                 long step

Házmester                        30cl                               20cl                                  janitor

There are other amusing names for alcoholic drinks, the most popular being from a humorist’s story, in which the hero’s favourite drink was a so-called ‘Franzstadt Cocktail’. The recipe was as follows: 1 part rum, 2 parts rum.

Hungarian wines

This is a very serious subject, and there are specialist websites and books by the hundred. Just an introductory sentence: the entire area of Hungary is inside the vine-growing zone – this fact, along with the special soil and climatic qualities of various regions, explains why a small country like Hungary can boast twenty-two strictly delimited quality wine districts. Hungary belongs to the select group of vine-growing countries in the world which produce the entire range of classic wine styles, including whites, rosés, reds and natural sweet wines (botrytis whites). The latter is the best known: the Tokaj region. But look for the red wines of the Villány region and the white wines of the Badacsony region; or try Budafok Champagne (Törley), or the white wines of the village of Etyek, only 20 minutes from Budapest.

Pálinka –celebrate like a real Hungarian

Pálinka is a kind of ultra-strong brandy which can be made from every kind of fruit. The most popular kinds are made from plum, pear and apricot. After years of debate, the European Union finally agreed to add the word ‘pálinka’ to its list of protected brands. At the crucial meeting to decide the matter, Hungarian diplomats presented the largest dictionary of the Romanian language, in which the relevant entry stated that ‘palincă is an alcoholic beverage of Hungarian origin’. This settled the case. The term can only be used for the spirit produced in Hungary and in four neighbouring Austrian counties. The beverage should contain at least 37.5% alcohol, and fruit content should be 100%, with no added aromas or pure alcohol. The traditional measures are called ‘stampedli’ (3 cl) and ‘kupica’ (5 cl).

Házibuli – ‘home-made’ Hungarian party

Free listings magazines are full of options for parties, but the real thing in Budapest is a party at home. It is remarkably easy to get an invitation, if one sniffs around. You should bring a bottle of drink, but later everything is shared. Once inside you can have a good look around the home. After an hour or so some guests will probably set out to find another party, and you can easily join them. There will be no face control at the next party. New Years’ Eve and almost any Saturday are the easiest times to join any party, even if you hear the noise from a nearby house. You should ring the bell and say that Péter told you to come. The answer will most probably be: ‘He hasn’t arrived yet, but come in and wait for him’. Péter is a really common name!

Sobering up in a public bath, very early in the morning

Public baths were originally built around 1900 for those without a bath at home. The most grandiose of them are the Széchenyi Baths in the City Park. Their remaining bathtubs are so big and agreeable that today they are called ‘family tubs’. A traditional way of spending a ‘morning after’ and the hours of hangover is visiting the baths with your friends. Many of them open at 6 a.m.

Crossing a bridge on the way home

You will hear and smell the river, and the buzz of this big city of the right size, where life never stops, just slows down. If your alcohol level is under control, and you have spent enough time in Budapest, you will be able to distinguish some early morning noises: the baker rolling a rubbish bin out onto the street, or a railwayman rushing to work, making several attempts to start his old car before finally succeeding...