Żubrówka

Year founded: 1928
Location: Białystok, Poland
Owner: Roust Corporation
Widely Available? No

Named for the European bison that once roamed wild in eastern Poland, Żubrówka sets itself apart from other vodka producers by flavoring its products with bison grass from the Białowieża Forest. According to the brand, the tradition of infusing a neutral spirit with the herbaceous grass dates back to the 14th century, but it wasn’t until 1926 that it was mass-produced in the modern style we know now — or, at least, we would know, were Americans allowed to drink the real stuff. The FDA has prohibited true Żubrówka from being imported into the country due to a toxic chemical called coumarin, a blood thinner that occurs naturally in bison grass. Though the spirit was available for sometime in black markets in some Polish neighborhoods, Polmos worked with Rémy Cointreau to produce an FDA-approved version in 2010 called Żubrówka Zu.

Trivia: Żubrówka Zu is sold with a single blade of bison grass floating inside, sometimes complemented by a faux fur and suede cozy.

In Pop Culture: The country in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel is named after Żubrówka vodka.

At the Bar: Bison grass vodka like Żubrówka is especially good mixed with apple juice, a drink known in Poland as Tatanka.