For centuries, Zwack family liqueur has been a staple of life in Hungary. Created in 1790 for Joseph II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the distinct drink was popularized in the 1840s. It was eventually even adopted as the National Shot of Hungary.
However, things got a bit complicated for the Zwack family when the Cold War came around.
In order to avoid the new Stalinist regime, most of the Zwacks fled the country to seek entry into America, with Janos Zwack holding the only true recipe for their booze. Bela Zwack, taking one for the family, remained behind to give the new government a fake recipe.
After a few months, the rest of the Zwacks were granted admittance into America solely on the basis of their liqueur formula. While in the country, Janos’ son Peter learned how to thrive in the spirits industry.
In 1988, Peter moved back to his home country, where he was named Hungarian Ambassador to the United States.
