Żubrówka

Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka (Polish pronunciation: [ʐuˈbrufka] (listen); Russian: зубровка, romanized: zubrovka; Belarusian: зуброўка, romanized: zubroŭka) is a flavored Polish vodka liqueur, 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), Belalco (Belarus), Bulbash (Belarus),[1] Minsk Kristall (Belarus)[2] and others
Country of originPoland
Introduced16th century
Proof (US)80
Websitewww.zubrowka.com 

Żubrówka ranks as the third or fourth best-selling vodka brand in the world (after Smirnoff, Absolut, and occasionally Khortytsa).[3] Żubrówka is available in more than 80 markets worldwide.

The brand is owned by CEDC International, which was acquired by Roust International in 2013.

Etymology

In Polish, the word turówka is officially used for bison grass, while the name żubrówka has been used in folk terminology and colloquially.[4] The similar words zubroŭka in the Belarusian language and zubrovka in Russian are also the words for bison grass. The name comes from zubr (Polish: żubr, pronounced [ʐubr]), the word for the European bison in many Slavic languages.

Availability in the United States

Before 2010, Żubrówka was illegal in the United States because the grass it is made from contained coumarin which the FDA classifies as a "substances generally prohibited from direct addition or use as human food." [5][6] Since 2011, the makers of Żubrówka have made a version of the vodka from rye grain which aims to have a flavor similar to the original. [5][7]

The brand

The brands Zubrovka and Żubrówka are registered by Sojuzplodoimport in Russia and Roust International in Poland.[5][3]

  • Żubrówka is mentioned in Moscow-Petushki, a pseudo-autobiographical postmodernist prose poem by Russian writer and satirist Venedikt Yerofeyev.
  • The bison emblem (Mylvivä härkä, "roaring bull") of Fighter Squadron 11, Lapland Air Command, Finnish Air Force, originated from the label of Polmos Żubrówka. It was introduced in 1941 as the emblem of PLeLv 46, on its Dornier 17 bombers, and later adopted by Fighter Squadron 11. Pilots of PLeLv 46 had seen the Żubrówka label while picking up Do 17 bombers from Warsaw.[8]
  • Żubrówka figures prominently in the movie Suzhou River.
  • Żubrówka is featured in W. Somerset Maugham's novel The Razor's Edge (and in the 1984 film adaptation).
  • The name of the country Żubrówka in the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel is named after this style of vodka.
  • Navy SEAL Chris Kyle mentions it in his book American Sniper while working with the Polish GROM.
  • Żubrówka is shown on a table in the Magic City episode "Angels of Death" during a scene involving a conversation between Sy Berman (James Caan) and Ben Diamond (Danny Huston)

Methods of Consumption

Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka is usually served chilled on its own. An alternative is mixing it with apple juice[9] (a drink known in Polish as tatanka (Lakota for "American bison") or szarlotka (Polish for "apple cake"); known in the UK as a Frisky Bison;[10] and in the US as a Polish Kiss). It is sometimes served over vanilla ice cream,[11] and another common mixer is ginger ale.[11] A "Black Bison" is żubrówka mixed with black currant juice.

References
  1. Бульбашъ Зубровая [Bulbash Zubrovaya, a brand of Zubroŭka from Belarus]
  2. Белорусская зубровка
  3. 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.
  4. Janka Werpachowska (15 December 2010). "Żubrówka - kultowa wódka z trawką. Powstawanie, historia, drinki". Kurier Poranny. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  5. Michaels, Daniel (2011-01-18). "Name Your Poison: How a Banned Polish Vodka Buffaloed Its Way Into the U.S." Wall Street Journal.
  6. "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". FDA. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  7. Fabricant, Florence. ""Polish Vodka Arrives With a Wisp of Grass"". New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  8. "kaiken takana on tarina". virtuaalibaari.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  9. Gim, Sarah (2006-07-18). "Zubrowka is bison grass vodka". Archived from the original on 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  10. Cocktail:UK - Frisky Bison Cocktail
  11. "Zubrowka Ginger Ale and ice cream". 2018-05-25. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
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