How to drink Palinka
Palinka should be served at 16–20 °C because it is at this temperature that the fine smell and taste of the fruit can be best enjoyed. If served too cold, the smell and the taste will be difficult to appreciate.
The form of the glass used to drink palinka affects the drinking experience. The ideal glass is wide at the bottom and narrow at the rim, that is, tulip-shaped. The relatively narrow neck of the glass concentrates the “nose” released from the larger surface at the bottom of the glass, magnifying the smell of the drink.
Everybody thinks that the usual way of consuming palinka is drinking it as fast as possible, preferably with one big gulp. Good palinka is full of aromas, taste and smells, and it is a waste to simply gulp it down as fast as possible.
The best way to drink good palinka is to sip it slowly in order to really taste it. It is best to use a tulip-shaped glass so that the different tastes all come forward. Pálinka is best served at 16-17 degrees Celsius because if it is too cold, we cannot taste or smell it well enough. You can drink it before or after meals, it does not really matter. It is not recommended to drink it with hot soup though.
