Żubrówka

Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka (Polish pronunciation: [ʐuˈbrufka] ⓘ) is a flavored Polish vodka, which contains a bison grass blade (Hierochloe odorata) in every bottle. The Żubrówka brand name is also used on bottles of conventional vodka, labeled as Żubrówka Biała. An easy way to tell the difference is to look for the blade of grass in the bottle. The grass is sourced from the Białowieża Forest, hand-picked and dried under natural conditions.

"Zubrowka" redirects here. For the fictional country, see The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Żubrówka
A 700-millilitre (25 imp fl oz; 24 US fl oz) bottle of Żubrówka vodka
TypeFlavored vodka
ManufacturerPolmos Białystok (Poland)
Country of origin Poland
Introduced16th century[1]
Proof (US)80
Websitewww.zubrowka.com Edit this on Wikidata

Żubrówka ranks as the third or fourth best-selling vodka brand in the world (after Smirnoff, Absolut, and occasionally Khortytsia).[2] Żubrówka is available in more than 80 markets worldwide.

Żubrówka is manufactured at the Polmos 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.[3] Since 2022, it has been owned by the Maspex Group.[4][5]

Etymology and brand

In Polish, the word turówka is officially used for bison grass, while the name żubrówka has been used in folk terminology and colloquially.[6] The name comes from the term zubr (Polish: żubr, pronounced [ʐubr]), the word for the European bison in many Slavic languages and Baltic languages.

The brands Zubrovka and Żubrówka are registered by Sojuzplodoimport in Russia and Roust International in Poland.[7][2]

United States variant

Before 2010 Żubrówka was illegal in the United States because the grass it is made from contains coumarin which the FDA classifies as a "substances generally prohibited from direct addition or use as human food".[7][8] Since 2011 the manufacturers have made a version of Żubrówka from rye grain which aims to have a flavor similar to the original.[7][9]

Methods of consumption

Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka is usually served chilled on its own. An alternative is mixing it with apple juice,[10] a drink known in Polish as tatanka or szarlotka (Polish for "apple cake"); known in the UK as a Frisky Bison,[11] and in the US as a Polish Kiss. It is sometimes served over vanilla ice cream,[12] and another common mixer is ginger ale.[12] A Black Bison is żubrówka mixed with blackcurrant juice. A Żubrate is mixed with a mate based lemonade, such as Club Mate.

See also

References
  1. "Żubrówka - Sklep Eluxo". eluxo.pl.
  2. Pawlak-Żalikowska, Maryla (14 May 2019). "Polmos Białystok zatrudnia na etaty. I wzmacnia markę Żubrówka (wideo, zdjęcia)". Kurier Poranny (in Polish). Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  3. "Żubrówka - CEDC". cedc.com.
  4. "Polish vodka brands have returned from Russian hands". Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  5. "Polská skupina Maspex kupuje od ruské skupiny slavnou značku Żubrówka za téměř miliardu dolarů" (in Czech). Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  6. Janka Werpachowska (15 December 2010). "Żubrówka - kultowa wódka z trawką. Powstawanie, historia, drinki". Kurier Poranny. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  7. Michaels, Daniel (2011-01-18). "Name Your Poison: How a Banned Polish Vodka Buffaloed Its Way Into the U.S." Wall Street Journal.
  8. "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". FDA. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  9. Fabricant, Florence (December 2010). ""Polish Vodka Arrives With a Wisp of Grass"". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. Gim, Sarah (2006-07-18). "Zubrowka is bison grass vodka". Archived from the original on 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  11. "Frisky Bison Cocktail". www.cocktail.uk.com.
  12. "Zubrowka Ginger Ale and ice cream". 2018-05-25. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  13. "kaiken takana on tarina". virtuaalibaari.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
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