A quince-pear brandy produced by the Brill Pálinka Distillery has won the title of Hungary's Best Pálinka in 2013. A bottle of the winning schnapps was placed in a display cabinet among former winning distilled spirits at the Hungarian Museum of Agriculture during Saint Michael Pálinka Festival celebrations on Thursday.

Some four hundred samples were entered in the competition by Hungarian pálinka distilleries this year, and the twenty-man jury eventually picked as the winner a new fruit pálinka, compared to previous winners, competition director Károly Stégermájer announced at the award ceremony.

Minister of State Zsolt V: Németh from the Ministry of Rural Development described the winning entry of Brill Pálinka Distillery as "a wild-tasting, tart, all aroma quince-pear pálinka", after which he presented a new album by Imre Dlusztus and Kálmán Soós entitled: Good Hungarian Pálinka. According to the Minister of State, the new, 260-page publication by Mihazánk Publishers presents the world of pálinka with worthy dedication and integrity, and with scientific and cultural fastidiousness.

Manager of the Brill Pálinka Distillery Edit Krizi reminded the press that the Distillery has won the prestigious award three years ago with a pálinka created from Olivér Irsai grapes, while in the last round of this year's competition the Distillery's quince-pear brandy was in strong competition with another of their products, a grape marc pálinka. The Distillery based near Szekszárd, in Southern Transdanubia, has achieved success in competitions since 2003, often also entering their vegetable brandys in addition to their fruit pálinkas.

Director General of the Hungarian Museum of Agriculture György Fehér said that it has become a tradition for the winner of the Hungary's Best Pálinka competition to have a bottle of the winning fruit brandy be placed in the Museum's special display cabinet after the results have been published. The Museum's visitors to the Colours, Flavours, Aromas temporary exhibition may also learn more the world of pálinka.

In his speech following the award ceremony, Deputy Mayor of Budapest Miklós Csomós stressed that Pálinka is an important product of Hungarian gastronomy and has increased significantly in quality in recent years thank to the many excellent domestic pálinka distilleries.

(MTI)