Żubrówka

Żubrówka [ʐuˈbrufka], also known in English as Bison Grass Vodka, is a dry, herb-flavoured vodka that is distilled from rye and bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (80 US proof). Its flavour is unique and is described as having woodruff, vanilla, coconut, and almond notes.

The rye distillate is flavoured with a tincture of bison grass (Hierochloe odorata), which also gives the spirit its yellowish color. This grass grows in the Białowieża Forest and elsewhere. A blade of bison grass is traditionally placed in each bottle of Żubrówka, though this is largely decorative.

Etymology

The name Żubrówka comes from żubr (pronounced zhubr), the Polish word for the European bison, which is particularly fond of eating bison grass. The word żubr also appears in similar forms with an identical meaning in numerous other Slavic languages: Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian зубр (zubr), Bulgarian зубър (zubŭr), Czech zubr, Slovak zubor and Slovenian zober. Although in Poland the word Żubrówka is now commonly associated with this type of vodka, in Polish the same word is used to describe bison grass—which is primarily what the vodka is named after.