The Zekulhyda story — born of a passion for palinka.
The Zekulhyda story begins in Săcueni, in the heart of the Ier Valley, where Nagy Botond was born and raised.
Before palinka became his passion, Botond made his name in competitive wood chopping, representing Romania at world championships and later helping to train the national team.
His first palinkas were made at home, following the tradition handed down from generation to generation in the Ier Valley.
2014 brought the moment that would change everything. Confident in the quality of his palinka, Botond entered a sample in a competition in Hungary for the first time. The result was not what he expected: the jury found that it did not meet the standard needed to be judged at all.
Instead of giving up, Botond turned that failure into motivation. He took tasting courses, studied the experts’ comments closely and set about perfecting every stage of production, from fermenting the fruit to distillation.
In 2018 he won his first medal, at a competition in Hungary — proof that hard work, patience and the will to learn pay off.
In 2020 the passion became a business, and in 2021 the Zekulhyda brand was officially born. The name comes from the old name of Săcueni, used around the year 1200 — a tribute to the place and its traditions.
Today Nagy Botond is an international judge at the prestigious Quintessence and ÁKOVITA competitions and the founder of the Ier Valley Palinka Culture Association. The Zekulhyda tasting room also hosts the judging of the Blisseva Partium Spirits Award.
The results speak for the journey: at Quintessence 2025 Zekulhyda won 22 medals from 22 entries and two champion titles. 2026 brought another 24 medals and the title of grape variety master.
For us, Zekulhyda is more than palinka. It stands for respect for the fruit, care in every detail and the wish to turn tradition into an authentic experience of real quality.
Zekulhyda – tradition, passion and excellence in every drop.
