Żubrówka

Original Polish Żubrówka

Żubrówka ([pronounced] ([Media helphelp]·[info]); also known in English as Bison Grass Vodka) is a brand of dry herb-flavoured vodka distilled from potatoes, 80 proof. The raw rectified spirit is then mixed with a tincture made of Hierochloe odorata, often called bison grass. A blade of this grass can be found in every bottle of genuine Żubrówka and is the reason for its particular taste, aroma, and yellowish colour. Its name comes from żubr or zubr, the Slavic word for the wisent, which are particularly fond of the herb. The flavour is quite unique, and can be described as having vanilla, coconut and almond like qualities.

Żubrówka, using more common export labelling

Żubrówka has been manufactured in the Polish-Belarusian border region since at least the 17th century, and by 18th century it was one of the favourite raw drinks of the nobility (szlachta) and the peasantry alike. In 1926 the Polmos company in Brześć Litewski (now Brest, Belarus) invented a method to mass produce Żubrówka, which was then copied by numerous companies worldwide, under a variety of brand names. It is produced in Belarus (Зуброўка), Russia (Зубровка), United States (Bison Vodka), Ukraine (Зубрiвка), Germany (Grasovka), the Czech Republic (Zubrovka), and many other countries. Currently the brand Żubrówka, its translations into other languages, and the grass inside a bottle of alcoholic beverage are registered by the Polmos Białystok company in Białystok, Poland.

Żubrówka is usually served pure and chilled, mixed with apple juice, or over vanilla ice.

Żubrówka plays a key role in Somerset Maugham's novel The Razor's Edge, where it is used to lure a young woman back into alcoholism. According to Isabella, a character in the book, "it smells of freshly mown hay and spring flowers, of thyme and lavender, and it's soft on the palate and so comfortable, it's like listening to music by moonlight."

The Kousmichoff tea company also produces a tea infused with bison grass.

External links

[Zubrowka.net] — The official site for Bison Grass Vodka
[Polmos Białystok] — The official site of Polmos Białistok

Żubrówka

External links

See also