Zubrowka Bison Grass
The Polish vodka with a blade of grass in the bottle. Bison grass, hand-harvested around Białowieża, gives it notes of almond and vanilla. Best enjoyed neat and ice-cold, or with apple juice as a Szarlotka.
The grass the bison eats, in your glass
Zubrowka Bison Grass is the vodka the brand is known for. It gets its flavour from bison grass, Hierochloe odorata, which is hand-harvested in the area around the Białowieża Forest in eastern Poland: one of the country's most pristine and remote natural areas. The grass gives the vodka a light green tint and an aroma reminiscent of almond and vanilla. Each bottle contains a single blade as a signature feature.
The brand builds on almost 500 years of Polish vodka tradition and is made by CEDC International in Oborniki. Unlike many flavoured vodkas, Bison Grass is not made to disappear into a cocktail. It is at its best neat, preferably ice-cold, so you can really taste the grass. If you do want to mix it, choose the Polish classic: apple juice, known as a Szarlotka.
In brief
Almond, vanilla and a hint of hay
Freshly cut grass
The first thing you smell is the bison grass: green, slightly hay-like, with sweet almond and vanilla behind it.
Soft and lightly nutty
Soft on the palate, with almond and vanilla rounding out the grass. The 37.5% is barely noticeable, especially when it is cold.
Dry and spicy
A dry, lightly spicy finish in which the grass lingers for a moment. This makes it taste fresh and never sweet.
Tasting profile of Zubrowka Bison Grass neat and ice-cold. With apple juice, the profile shifts towards apple pie.
Neat, ice-cold or as a Szarlotka
Bison Grass is the vodka you drink neat. Two of the three serves below are therefore without a mixer; the third is Poland's best-known serve.
Ice-cold from the freezer
Put the bottle in the freezer for a few hours and pour 4 cl into a pre-chilled shot glass. The vodka becomes more viscous and smoother, and the grass only emerges in the finish. This is how it is served with food in Poland.
Shot glasses →Szarlotka with apple juice
50 ml Zubrowka Bison Grass and 150 ml cloudy apple juice over plenty of ice in a long drink glass, with a slice of apple and optionally a pinch of cinnamon. Szarlotka means apple pie, and that is exactly what it tastes like. Outside Poland, it is also known as Tatanka.
Long drink glasses →Sip slowly
Pour 3 cl at room temperature into a small tulip-shaped tasting glass. Without the chill, you can smell the bison grass, almond, and vanilla much more clearly. A great way to compare it with another vodka.
Tasting glasses →Cocktails with bison grass
The grass calls for fresh, simple recipes with apple, lime, or nothing but cold.
Apple pie shot
A shot that tastes like apple pie. With bison grass and apple juice, you get close to the Szarlotka.
Gimlet
A spirit with lime and a little sugar. With Bison Grass instead of gin, you get a green, herbal twist.
Caipiroska
Vodka, muddled lime, and sugar over crushed ice. The grass makes it more herbal than with a neutral vodka.
Dry Martini
Almost neat, with a splash of dry vermouth. A vodka martini in which the bison grass takes center stage.The right glass for Bison Grass
A heavy-base shot glass for ice-cold neat pours, a tall long drink glass for the Szarlotka, a Nick & Nora for the Gimlet, and a heavy tumbler for the Caipiroska.
More Zubrowka flavors
Zubrowka
The brand story: the primeval forest of Białowieża, all Zubrowka varieties, and classic Polish serving methods.
To Zubrowka →
Zubrowka Biala
Clear vodka made from winter rye, without bison grass. Smooth and neutral: the brand's mixing vodka.
View Zubrowka Biala →
Zubrowka Rosé
Bison grass with forest fruits, rosehip and juniper. Best with tonic, ice and fresh berries.
View Zubrowka Rosé →
Zubrowka Vanilla
Intense Madagascar vanilla in smooth Zubrowka. The vodka for a Pornstar Martini without separate vanilla syrup.
View Zubrowka Vanilla →
Zubrowka Raspberry
Soft, balanced raspberry. Ice-cold as a shot or in a French Martini or Clover Club.
View Zubrowka Raspberry →
Zubrowka Mango Passionfruit
Mango and passion fruit, full-bodied and fruity. As a shot or in a Sex on the Beach or Piña Colada.
View Zubrowka Mango Passionfruit →All vodka brands and flavors at a glance, from Swedish grain to French grapes.
Questions about Zubrowka Bison Grass
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Zubrowka page or check out our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Zubrowka →