Hungarian pálinka on the rise?

Photo: www.facebook.com/Pálinka

Is it possible for pálinka to gain international fame besides being the national drink Hungarians are proud of? There are attempts to sell it mixed in cocktails, and it seems like a good idea so far. Napi.hu writes about the details.

Being a short drink, the market of pálinka is very limited. Even though Hungarians consider this drink national pride, it is definitely not the favourite short liquor, not even in Hungary. It is less popular than vodka and whiskey, according to the statistics. There are many theories connected. Some say that Hungarian people do not drink high-quality pálinka. They prefer the homemade versions that are cheaper and also more popular due to cultural reasons. Others believe that none of the other spirits became popular consumed by themselves. Vodka Soda, Screwdriver, and Cuba Libre are all perfect examples for that. On the other hand, no cocktails have pálinka as an ingredient.

Photo: www.facebook.com/NobilisPálinka

Cocktails with pálinka

Péter Bárány, the owner of Forrás Pálinka and operator of many bars in the city centre of Budapest, discovered this deficiency. He has already tried mixing pálinka in cocktails. As he told Napi.hu, he even invited a mixer who made excellent cocktails. However, they did not succeed that time. Péter realised, however, that the root of the problem was the non-availability of the ingredients. Therefore, he created a simple cocktail this time. All he needs is either quince or raspberries. He mixes two centilitres pálinka with soda, ice, and lime. Additionally, there are mint leaves in the raspberry version. As he describes making this cocktail, it is as easy as making a packet soup.

Photo: www.facebook.com/NobilisPálinka

New target groups

There are two main target groups: foreigners and those who do not like pálinka. Péter believes that most of the tourists taste pálinka either because of their hosts’ request or only out of curiosity. However, after tasting it, they only try to survive and forget about it for good. Péter’s long drink will be a pleasant memory for them, though. The new pálinka cocktails have advantages for the catering industry as well. It is cheap to produce but can be sold for a high profit.

Photo: www.facebook.com/NobilisPálinka

Cheerful expectations

Some Erasmus students have already tasted these new pálinka cocktails, and they absolutely liked them. Furthermore, Péter stated that their selling statistics have improved a lot since they have been selling the cocktails. Finally, it is sure that there is going to be at least 13 festivals at summer where you can taste these innovations.