Grasovka Bisongrass Vodka

Grasovka belongs to the old eastern European tradition of zubrowka, vodka steeped with bison grass. The base is a clean grain vodka, deliberately neutral so the flavouring can lead, and it is then infused with Hierochloe odorata, a wild grass that carries the natural compound coumarin. That compound is what gives the spirit its sweet, hay-like scent and the impression of vanilla, even though no vanilla is added. A stalk of the grass is laid in each bottle as a marker of authenticity, and the spirit is held at a soft 38% so the herbal note stays rounded rather than spirity.

The nose is fresh cut grass with light vanilla and a thread of herbs. The palate is mild and faintly sweet, the bison grass carrying through with that vanilla edge before a soft, aromatic finish. The natural pairing for this bottle is a Szarlotka: build it long over ice with cloudy apple juice, roughly one part vodka to three parts juice, and a squeeze of lemon. The apple meets the grassy vanilla note head on and turns the whole thing into liquid apple pie, which is exactly what the name means.