Bottle Service: Palinka, Hungary

By Franklength

Palinka – the Hungarian brandy. For a spirit to be classified as palinka, it must be made from a fruit based brandy – and it has to be damn strong. According to European Union official definitions, real palinka must be made in Hungary from ingredients grown in Hungary, and MUST be between 37.5-percent and 86-percent alcohol content. 

This pride and joy of the Hungarian nation comes from all the fruits of the rainbow and is just as common in an unmarked bottle in the cellar as with a pretty label on the liquor shelf. Watch out, a law has just been passed making it illegal to call szeszesital (a mix of fruit juice and pure ethanol) palinka…the Hungarians really are proud of this stuff and want to make sure you get the real deal!

A few crazy drinkers have even dared to mimic the tequila slammer in Hungarian fashion. We are talking paprika instead of salt and a raw onion instead of lemon. Think you’re man enough?