Polish vodka and Żubrówka: what to try and what to bring home

Ask a Pole what to bring home from Poland and vodka will be near the top of the list – just after pottery and before the sweets. Written records of wódka in Poland go back to the Middle Ages, the country has been distilling it on an industrial scale for centuries, and a good Polish vodka is a world away from the harsh spirit many visitors expect.

The best-known of all is Żubrówka, the pale-gold vodka with a single blade of grass in every bottle. But Poland's real treasure is its range: clean rye and potato vodkas that are meant to be sipped, sweet and spiced honey liqueurs, and home-made fruit infusions that Polish grandmothers guard like family silver.

Żubrówka: the bison grass vodka

Żubrówka takes its name from the żubr, the European bison that roams the Białowieża Forest in north-eastern Poland. The bison graze on a fragrant wild grass – Hierochloe odorata, known in English as bison grass or sweet grass – and an extract of that grass, hand-picked in the region, gives the vodka its light colour and its soft notes of vanilla, almond and fresh hay. A blade of grass in each bottle is the brand's signature.

• How it is drunk: traditionally chilled and neat, or mixed with cloudy apple juice in a drink Poles call szarlotka – “apple pie”.
• Who makes it: the brand returned to Polish ownership in 2022, when it was bought by the Polish food and drinks group Maspex.
• In the US: the original recipe was long unavailable because US rules restrict coumarin, a natural compound in bison grass; a US-compliant version is sold there instead.

What “Polish Vodka” on the label means

“Polska Wódka / Polish Vodka” is a protected geographical indication in the EU. A bottle can carry the name only if:

• it is made from rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes grown in Poland,
• every stage of production takes place in Poland, and
• it has at least 37.5% alcohol.

Flavoured vodkas can carry the name too, as long as they use natural flavourings. Look for the words on the label: they are a guarantee of origin, not just a marketing claim.

The main styles of Polish vodka

Style	What it is like
Bison grass	Soft, aromatic, slightly sweet, with a blade of grass in the bottle
Rye	Clean, a little peppery or bready – the traditional Polish style
Potato	Creamy and rounder, with a fuller body
Flavoured (wódka smakowa)	Herbal, cherry, hazelnut or quince – sweeter and usually lower in strength
Honey liqueur (krupnik)	Sweet and spiced; traditionally served warm in winter
Fruit infusions (nalewki)	Cherry, quince, plum or blackcurrant macerated in spirit – often home-made, a family tradition

How Poles drink vodka

• Cold, neat and in small glasses (kieliszki) – never warm, never with ice in a good vodka.
• With food. A shot is followed by a bite of something: pickled cucumber, herring, rye bread with lard or a forkful of bigos. Snacks served with vodka are called zakąski.
• With a toast. Na zdrowie! (“to health”) is the standard toast.
• Slowly. A Polish evening may involve several rounds – but always with food, and with water in between.

In restaurants and bars, vodka is ordered by the shot (usually 40 or 50 ml) or, among friends, by the bottle.

Learning more

• Polish Vodka Museum in Warsaw – in the restored Koneser vodka factory in Praga, telling the story of vodka-making in Poland over six centuries.
• Traditional restaurants – many serve nalewki and Polish dishes that go with them, from herring to bigos.

Alcohol rules in Poland

• Age: alcohol is sold and served only to adults aged 18 and over; shops may ask for ID.
• Night sales: some Polish cities restrict the sale of alcohol in shops late at night.
• Drinking in public – in streets, parks and squares – is not allowed and can earn you a fine.
• Driving: the limit is 0.2 per mille, effectively zero. Never drink and drive.

Taking vodka home

• In hand luggage: only if your departure airport allows larger liquids (Kraków Airport does, with containers up to 2 litres) or if you buy it at duty free after security.
• In checked luggage: wrap bottles in clothes or use a bottle protector.
• Allowances: within the EU there are no limits for personal use, only guide amounts; travellers to the UK, the US and other countries have duty-free allowances – check before you buy several bottles.

More in our guide to souvenirs from Poland.

Please drink responsibly – and if you are travelling with friends, take turns looking after each other on a night out. See our guide to staying safe in Poland.

Sources

• “Polska Wódka / Polish Vodka” geographical indication – product specification (raw materials, production in Poland, minimum 37.5% alcohol)
• Wine Industry Advisor: The Brand Collective relaunches Żubrówka vodka in the US (October 2026) – Maspex ownership since 2022, bison grass from the Białowieża Forest
• Polish Vodka Museum, Warsaw