THE WODKA WITH NOBLE ORIGINS

Source

KEGLEVICH: A NOBLE FAMILY

The House of Keglević or Keglevich had noble origins and hailed from northern Dalmatia.

Its members, besides being very socially active to the point of being patrons of the arts and holding the right of patronage over churches and parishes, became skilled military officers to the extent of actively participating in the two major end-of-century wars, the Croatian-Ottoman and Ottoman-Hungarian wars.

Source

COUNT KEGLEVICH, OUR ECLECTIC FOUNDER

Born in 1840 in Vienna, Grof István Keglevich was a prominent figure mentioned in historical sources as an imperial and royal Chamberlain, as well as a member of parliament. He led a rich and varied life, becoming the superintendent of the Hungarian State Opera and the National Theater, as well as an experienced military man, prominent politician, and with a strong curiosity for the world of finance.

We remember him as our founding father thanks to the distillery he founded in 1882, which bore the name “The Cognac Factory of the Descendants of Count István Keglevich“. The bold personality and memorable exploits of the Count ensured that his descendants kept the name István Keglevich in the company name even after his death.

REBEL UNTIL THE END

On May 27, 1905, at the age of 64, during a session in the Chamber of Representatives, of which he was a member, the Count burst into laughter, deeply insulting the representative Károly Hentz, who was then twenty-eight years old.

At the end of the session, Hentz’s representatives approached Count Keglevich and informed him of Hentz’s desire to settle the matter with a duel that same day.

Keglevich could not avoid it and tragically lost his life in the encounter.

Source

Hentz shouted at the count:

Keglevich, stop laughing!

And Keglevich promptly responded:

You’re a donkey!

(meaning stupid in this contest)

Hentz became furious:

You’re not only a donkey but a burden to society!

István Keglevich died in the fight.

May 27, 1905

BUDAFOK AND THE DISTILLERY OF COUNT ISTVAN KEGLEVICH

Source

The history of the distillery originates in Budafok, near Budapest, Hungary. Its foundation began with the production of cognac at the end of the 19th century, following the devastating epidemic that struck the vineyards of the region.

The local population was forced to seek alternative means of livelihood to wine production. Limestone mines and an extensive network of underground tunnels were created, which later, with the end of the epidemic, were used as cellars to store and age wine and spirits, unbeknownst to the government.

Many distilleries took advantage of this to conceal liquor productions and avoid paying increasingly burdensome taxes on alcoholic beverage production. This was a decisive factor in the development of Count Keglevich’s Cognac Factory, which began with cognac production but became expert distillers of any spirit: gin, rum, liqueurs, the typical Hungarian pálinka.

And of course, Keglevich white wodka, among the oldest in the world.

AN EXCELLENT COMPANY

An article from Váczi Közlöny, dated 1894, states:

“There is only one cognac factory in the entire monarchy that publishes official statements about the amount of wine processed and the alcohol and taxes paid. This is the cognac factory of Count István Keglevich’s successor in Promontor…”

“We are convinced that this company, both due to its stability and the exceptional quality of its products, has rightfully earned the complete recognition of the public. Therefore, we warmly recommend it to everyone.”