Zwack - really bitter Hungarian liqueur

Zwack is a surprisingly bitter drink developed as an herbal medicinal for the Habsburg emperor in 1790. First-time sippers usually find themselves being Zwacked - a five step process.

1. Shock - at how bitter it is
2. Disbelief  - that anyone would actually drink Zwack
3. Pain - as the liquid makes its way past your protesting taste buds
4. Acceptance - that it really wasn't that bad, and that if you were faced with jumping off a cliff and drinking Zwack, you'd probably pick Zwack, unless it was a really small cliff
5. Sneakiness - as you scheme how to have your friends try it so you can watch them get Zwacked as well.

Okay, so it's probably not as bad as all that since generations of Hungarians have survived drinking it. It has over 40 herbs in it, and it's even aged for six months in oak barrels to get that fully rounded bitterness. It's usually drunk as a digestif, probably as a punishment for having eaten too much and as a warning not to overindulge next time. I like sipping it every once in a while if I'm feeling listless - like a boxer using smelling salts.

You can actually find it at a fair number of stores, mostly in Seattle but also in Yelm and Vancouver. Must be a lot of Hungarians in Washington.