Żubrówka Vodka Relaunches in the U.S.

Żubrówka is the world’s fourth-largest vodka brand by volume, according to IWSR, with distribution in more than 80 countries. Here in the U.S., though, plenty of bartenders have yet to get to know it.

The Brand Collective plans to change that. The Miami-based company has signed a long-term agreement with Poland’s Maspex Group to become Żubrówka’s exclusive U.S. importer and marketer, with a focus on expanding distribution and getting the vodka into more American bars.

“Żubrówka already has the scale and recognition of a major global brand, but it also offers something genuinely different,” says Daniel Olech, co-founder and co-CEO of The Brand Collective.

That difference is easiest to spot in Żubrówka Bison Grass, the signature expression with a blade of grass placed by hand into each bottle. The grass grows in Poland’s Białowieża Forest, home to the European bison, or żubr, that gives the brand its name. An extract made from the handpicked grass gives the vodka notes of vanilla and spiced apple.

One of its best-known serves is also one of its simplest: the Tatanka, made with Żubrówka Bison Grass, fresh apple juice and a pinch of cinnamon. It’s an easy place to start for bartenders curious about the flavor.

The U.S. portfolio also includes Żubrówka Biała, Poland’s top-selling vodka. Distilled seven times using winter rye and Polish spring water, it’s the classic clear vodka of the pair.

Żubrówka is currently distributed in 37 states. The new agreement puts a fresh effort behind a brand with nearly 600 years of history, and gives bartenders another reason to revisit that bottle with the blade of grass.