Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka

Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka is Poland's famous flavoured rye vodka — distilled at Polmos Bialystok and infused with bison grass from the Bialowieza Forest, bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) in 750mL with a single blade of that grass in every bottle. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• ABV: 40% (80 proof)
• Size: 750mL
• Base: Rye vodka, distilled at Polmos Bialystok
• Flavouring: Bison grass (Hierochloe odorata) from the Bialowieza Forest
• Signature: A blade of bison grass in every bottle
• Origin: Bialystok, Poland

The Vodka Perfumed by the Forest

Bison grass grows in the clearings of the Bialowieza Forest — Europe's last primeval forest, home to the European bison that give the vodka its name and its label. Flavoured vodkas from the region reach back to the 16th century, and Polmos Bialystok has produced Zubrowka commercially since 1928: a rye vodka macerated with a bison-grass tincture that perfumes it with sweet grass, vanilla, almond and lavender-like notes, finished with the signature blade of grass standing in the bottle. (For the US market the grass flavour is prepared without coumarin, the naturally occurring compound the FDA does not permit as a food additive — the character is the same.) Browse the Zubrowka collection, more vodka, and the spirits shelves at Del Mesa.

Tasting Notes

The grass gives Zubrowka a flavour no plain vodka has: sweet hay and vanilla up front, a soft almond and coconut roundness through the middle, and a gently herbal, almost cinnamon-like warmth on the finish — smooth enough to sip, distinctive enough to build a drink around.

How to Enjoy

The classic serve is Tatanka — Zubrowka over ice with cloudy apple juice and a squeeze of lime, named for the bison. It also makes a singular Martini variation, and neat from the freezer it shows the grass at its most fragrant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is bison grass? Hierochloe odorata, a fragrant grass that grows in Poland's Bialowieza Forest, where wild European bison graze. Its natural aromatics give the vodka notes of vanilla, almond, sweet hay and lavender.

Is there really a blade of grass in the bottle? Yes — every bottle of Zubrowka contains a single blade of bison grass, the brand's signature since production began in Bialystok in 1928.

Is Zubrowka a flavoured vodka? Yes — a rye vodka flavoured with bison-grass macerate. The US bottling is made with a coumarin-free preparation of that flavour to meet US food rules, at the full 40% ABV.

How do you drink Zubrowka? Neat and ice-cold, or in the Tatanka — with cloudy apple juice over ice and a squeeze of lime.

Poland's blade-in-the-bottle original — order Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.