 A 700-millilitre (25 imp fl oz; 24 US fl oz) bottle of Żubrówka vodka | |
| Type | Flavored vodka |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Polmos Białystok (Poland) |
| Origin | Poland |
| Proof (US) | 80 |
| Website | www |
Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka (Polish pronunciation:[ʐuˈbrufka]ⓘ) is a flavoredPolishvodka which contains a blade ofbison grass (Hierochloe odorata) in every bottle. The Żubrówka brand name is also used on bottles of conventionalvodka, labeled as Żubrówka Biała. The grass is sourced from theBiałowieża Forest, hand-picked and dried under natural conditions.
The origins of Żubrówka production in Poland date back to the 16th century.
Żubrówka ranks as the third or fourth best-selling vodka brand in the world (afterSmirnoff,Absolut, and occasionallyKhortytsia).[1] Żubrówka is available in more than 80 markets worldwide.
Żubrówka is manufactured at thePolmos Białystok distillery. While it is claimed that the recipe dates back as far as the 14th century, commercial production of Bison Grass Vodka first began at the distillery in 1928. The brand is owned by Central European Distribution Corporation International, which was acquired by Roust International in 2013.[2] Since 2022, it has been owned by theMaspex Group.[3][4]
In Polish, the wordturówka is officially used forbison grass, while the nameżubrówka has been used in folk terminology and colloquially.[5] The name comes from the termzubr (Polish:żubr,pronounced[ʐubr]), the word for theEuropean bison in manySlavic languages andBaltic languages.[citation needed]
The brandsZubrovka andŻubrówka are registered bySojuzplodoimport inRussia and Roust International in Poland.[6][1]
In Poland, the Żubrówka brand is also used to label other vodkas that are not żubrówka. Thirteen different varieties have appeared on the market under this brand:
Before 2010 Żubrówka was illegal in the United States because the grass it is made from containscoumarin which theFDA classifies as a "substances generally prohibited from direct addition or use as human food".[6][7] Since 2011, the manufacturers have made a version of Żubrówka fromrye grain which aims to have a flavor similar to the original.[6][8]
Żubrówka is sometimes mixed withapple juice, preferably unfiltered.[9] Known in Poland asszarlotka, literally "apple cake",[10] overseas the drink is branded Apple ŻU and was included in Independent magazine's list of theTop 50 drinks in the world (other names for this drink are Tatanka, Bison Fire, Apple Pie itd.). Known in the UK as aFrisky Bison,[11] and in the US as aPolish Kiss. It is sometimes served overvanillaice cream,[12] and another common mixer isginger ale.[12]
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