Over 300 types of brandy, the best Hungarian specialties and great music in a fascinating city: Budapest invites you to spend a week drinking the most famous Hungarian liquor, Palinka, during the fifth annual Palinka Festival, celebrated from May 6th to May 9th.

This celebration of one of the most historically important and famous Hungarian drinks will take place in the centric park Vásrosháza. First mention of palinka was made in the 14th century as “Aqua Vitae Reginae Hungariae”. Most likely, these spirits were used as a remedy for common ailments. Today palinka is a product which bears the label Designation of Origin, which means that following EU regulations only what is produced and bottled in Hungary may use the name palinka. It also must be distilled from 100% fruit, normally prunes, apricots or pears, but also sometimes apples, berries or herbs. There are various main types of palinka with an infinity of variations, including the classic Kisüsti (twice distilled), Érlelt (aged for 6 to 12 months in wooden barrels), Ó (aged for 12 to 14 months), Ágyas, (palinka aged for three months together with the fruit) and Törköly (distilled from grapes),which is used above all as a digestive.

The festival will bring together the best manufacturers of Hungarian palinka, along with small family distilleries who make limited productions of very high quality.

Musical programming every day from 18 h. to 20h features both Hungarian and international groups.

Even if you are not a lover of fine spirits, remember that the Palinka Festival offers much more, excellent Hungarian dishes and afternoons of live music right in the heart of Budapest. The event is a singular opportunity to sink into belly of Hungarian culinary culture, and get to know the traditions which will make your trip to Budapest even more exciting. For the best lodging rent centric apartments in Budapest.

The Savoyan terrace in the castle of Buda is probably the most beautiful spot in the whole of Budapest. And now you have another reason for climbing the winding streets to the top of the hill: from 8th until 11th of October the castle hosts the Palinka festival.

Palinka is a traditional Hungarian drink, a sort of fruit brandy; and it is only considered authentic if the alcohol percentage is at least 37.5 %. The most popular are ‘Korte Palinka’ made from pears and ‘Szilva Palinka’ made from plums. However, there is a popular Hungarian saying: if you can make marmalade out of it, you can use it to produce Palinka. A lot of older people, usually in small villages, still brew Palinka in their home, although it is forbidden and involves serious health risks.

During the festival, you can taste several hundred varieties of Palinka, coming from fifteen different distilleries. The festival is actually a Jewish tradition, and there will be a lot of experts present for those who want to find out more about the distillation process and traditions.

There are two stages on the site, Nagyszínpad and Kisszínpad. Concerts should start around 4pm, and the last ones start at 10PM. There will be traditional Jewish folk groups like the Vodku Band, as well as popular Hungarian artists like Zuboly, Empty Pubs, Heaven Street 7 (Who released a new album this year) and Takáts Eszter.

Since it is better not to drink on an empty stomach, be sure to visit the stalls of the sausage makers who will sell their homemade products, like Gyulai and Csabai (usually very spicy, with a lot of paparika). The festival is not for free, but  one drink is included in the 7 euro entrance fee as well as a coupon to spend in one of the food stalls.

Ready to drink like real Hungarian men do? If you want to try all flavours and types, we recommend to come back next year instead of ending up in the gutter somewhere. After all, why not rent a nice apartment in Budapest? Cheers! Or like they say in Budapest… Egészségedre!