poland

ŻU Artisan Crafted, Bison Grass Flavored Vodka

"It comes in a papoose!" That was my delighted cry when I opened my festive box of ZU Vodka, an artisanal bison grass flavored vodka. ZU Vodka is produced by the one and only authorized manufacturer of the legendary Polish Żubrówka, which has been around since the 14th century.

Bison grass? Yes. In fact, there's a stalk of bison grass included in every bottle of ZU. The vodka is wonderfully complex and could be a drink all on its own, with an unmistakably herbaceous flavor of fresh grass and hints of chamomile, almond and vanilla. The vodka itself has a greenish tint, which definitely stands out in a crowd.

A PR representative for ZU told me about Żubrówka's popularity in Poland, so I wrote to a Polish friend of mine, Ola Bienkowska, to get the real scoop on what the Polish opinion was. Here was her reply:

"Yes, Żubrówka is very, very popular. In fact it's a classic, right among Wyborowa and Belvedere. 'Żubr' is 'bison' in Polish, so 'Żubrówka' is 'Bison vodka.' It's very popular, and actually perceived as classier than the others. This is because it's rarely drunk straight up or in shots, rather, it's used in cocktails. It's extremely popular with apple juice -- that's the classic Polish vodka drink and no other vodkas are used to make it. So, it's more of a 'genteel' drink, for ladies and gentlemen, not your regular drunks! It also looks different. It's slightly yellow-brown-green tinted and there's a piece of grass in the bottle, hence the name. Girls will go for it. So will most men."

Ola's word is good enough for me! Also, so is the ZU Vodka, which I tasted and enjoyed thoroughly with apple juice, on its own, and with soda. The herbal flavor might make you think "spring" or "summer," but when it comes in a fur-lined papoose, it's definitely suitable for the holidays -- and would make a great gift for your Polish or vodka connoisseur friends.

Gallery: ZU Vodka - Holiday Papoose

ŻU Vodka is currently available in New York, California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and Nevada where fine spirits are sold. The suggested retail price is $25 for a 750ml bottle. For more information, visit: www.ZUVodka.com.

Tags: holiday shopping, poland, polish, vodka, zu vodka, zubrowska

Chopin to Auction World's Largest Bottle of Vodka, Signed by Celebs

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity

Chopin, the small-batch ultra-premium potato vodka from Poland named in honor of the famed composer, has created the world's largest bottle of vodka to be signed by celebs and auctioned off for charity. The 200-liter behemoth, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Polish composer's birth, was just unveiled at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) where Sandra Bullock (above) was the first to affix her signature. Bullock won the Festival's American Riviera Award, presented by Chopin and established to recognize an actor who has had a strong influence on American cinema. Past recipients include Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones and Forest Whitaker. The signed 200-liter bottle will now tour the U.S. and then be auctioned off with proceeds going to The GRAMMY Foundation's Music Preservation Project. The lucky winner will get to have one hell of a party.

Tags: Chopin, Frederic Chopin, FredericChopin, Poland, Sandra Bullock, SandraBullock, Santa Barbara, SantaBarbara, vodka

Sign Stolen From Auschwitz

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Art theft makes a certain sense because of the money involved but no one is certain why thieves stole the sign over the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The sign, which reads Arbeit Mach Frei (work sets you free), hung over the main entrance to the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz Birkenau, in Oswiecim, southern Poland. The 16-foot sign which weighs 90 pounds was stolen by thieves who reportedly snuck in through a gap in a wall, grabbed the sign and cut through barbed wire to get away. A replica has already been bolted into place. Although the sign is a painful reminder of a terrible time in history, according to CBS News, the theft is condemned as sacrilege by survivors of the holocaust.

An AP report says the sign was unscrewed on one side and torn off on the other. It is believed that the thieves used a ladder to remove the sign and then carried it away and eventually loaded it onto a vehicle. Police have launched a manhunt with criminal investigators and a search dog.

The question of why someone would do this seems to be on everyone's mind. Could it be a prank? A political statement? The work camp has seen minor acts of vandalism before including graffiti and camps have been targets of neo-Nazi vandalism before.

UPDATE: The sign has been recovered but it was cut into pieces. Five men have been arrested.
[Thanks, C.K.!]

Tags: arbeit mach frei, ArbeitMachFrei, auschwitz, poland, sign theft, SignTheft

Belvedere Vodka Silver Ltd. Edition

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Belvedere, the all natural super premium vodka from Poland, has come out with a limited edition silver bottle for the holidays perfect for gift giving or festive occasions.

Available only until the New Year, the Belvedere Silver bottle features the brand's signature design set against a mirrored background for a modern, celebratory look.

Using only Dankowskie Gold Rye grown solely in the sweeping plains of Poland's Mazovia region, water from a pristine artesian well, and a proprietary purification process, Belvedere is distilled four times to uncover the vodka's strength of character.

The preciseness of the distillation process allows the distinctive notes of the vodka to come through without stripping away the subtle nuances, resulting in a smooth, creamy, peppery taste with a clean finish.

The limited edition Belvedere Silver bottles are available in four sizes: 375 ml, 750 ml, 1 litre and 1.75 litre, with the 750 ml size retailing for $35.

Tags: Belvedere, Belvedere Vodka, BelvedereVodka, holiday 09, Holiday09, limited edition, LimitedEdition, Poland, vodka