All Hail the Return to Legality of Hungarian Homemade Hooch
With the right to distill our own Hungarian hooch part of Prime Minister Orbán's economic plan announced yesterday according to hirszerzo.hu, Fidesz have fulfilled a campaign promise announced months earlier. Consequently, we'll raise our shot glasses in celebration, keeping in mind that while some people are willing to go to the detail you can seen in the schematic above (from here), the homemade still at the top is one of the better ones we've seen. Drink up!
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Oh no!
Most of that moonshine is only good for a rub on!
I hope my neighbours stay with the szeszfözdö - or else I'll need a new excuse to avoid the proffered pálinka ...
I support reducing the barriers for those small operators who want to get into such a potentially lucrative business. Hungary needs more opportunities for entry level entrepeneurs, and the making of liquor should be one of them. I want to to see people get into making, bottling, distribution and export, and the govt. should help encourage it. Hopefully, some of these home brews will grow to be the another "Jaegermeister" or "Stoli"!
The people have centuries of experience distilling liquor from fruits. (My mother's family used to do it at home, creating the product from apricots, plums and cherries) We should be able to draw from our available resources and experience.
Just look at what has happened in the premium vodka market! The proliferation of so many fancy high priced brands, many of them from eastern Europe. It makes me puke to think that Hungary can't get in on this kind of trade more. Perhaps the home law can help change that.Distilling of grains to make whiskies and vodkas should also be encouraged.
I have always felt that Hungary should move to greater beer production and export, as well as allow easier entry level for distilling. The reason is that the country produces the raw materials- grain and fruit, in abundance. The end product is sold for many times the raw material cost. (Beer can sell for as much as a 100 X the cost of it's barley content!) It makes sense to convert fruit, wheat and barley into very high value added end products.
Yeah, let's grow some pot too, it's a $600 million business (as in profit) for the Dutch government...you think the Hungarians could use some of that?
France, not Britain as the model: Yes, yes to all the externally
imposed rules, and then let people do as they always have done --
it's not hurting anyone, after all. Home butchering, home distilling:
We want to live in Hungary, not in Brussels.
Hi Monica,
I'm right with you on that, as I have said as much on politics.hu all along. See:
http://www.politics.hu/20100602/new-interior-minister-sends-police-to-borsod-villages
from:
"Farkas László at June 3, 2010 3:25 PM" onward.
When estimating the economic impact of pot on the Netherlands, 600 million sounds like a conservative estimate. The multiplier effect of tourism that such a policy spawns probably makes it a lot more.
Historically Hungary has been a very big hemp producer. We have every right to re-examine this product from the stanpoint of our own economic development and needs, without interference from others. Prohibition is rooted in hysteria and fear, and it's driving engine internationally in the past has been the US govt. If the Americans want to go on being that way about pot, that's their business, just don't force it on Hungary!
Allowing average Hungarians to engage in the trade of distilling and brewing, as well as pot production for both industrial and drug purposes, can inject untold billions into the national economy. That's not something our policy makers should make light of, unless of course they have other brainstorms, other businesses they can suggest that would bring in the loot as well as create opportunity for ordinary people.
@Laszlo
I believe pot has such a bad reputation because people uneducated about it. Hemp and other sustainable materials...they are a real goldmine, but the government has to keep other "pockets" happy so they don't do anything about it.
Hi Anonymous,
I sense a long term trend towards change, even in the USA. I do feel that pot will be legal someday in Hungary. The qeustion I have is, will we be among the first to move towards legalisation in Europe, or will we lag behind others? (What if the Slovaks, Czechs and Slovenes beat us here and reaped the economic benefits before we did?)
Back to the start:
Taxes on alcohol are very high, so there will always be an incentive to making moonshine.
Now if you allow home distilleries, the question is:
Are any taxes paid ?
If not, it's good business - but the problem remains:
What about the quality of that home made liquour ?