#Vodka and apple juice free#

The most common apple juice used in szarlotka cocktail in Poland is commercial filtered apple juice, the one that is smooth and see-through. If you want a smooth cocktail without any gritty ground cinnamon mouthful and no sticks to use, a drop of cinnamon essence or syrup will do the trick.Įnjoy it with Polish toasted sandwich zapiekanka as appetizer. It is not the cheapest option, but it’s a beautiful decoration and having a cinnamon stick in the glass you get to smell it at every sip.

#Vodka and apple juice free#

If you have cinnamon sticks to use up, feel free to do as I did and add a stick to each glass. You will really feel it once it gets into your mouth. The easiest way to incorporate cinnamon into szarlotka is by stirring a pinch of finely ground cinnamon into the cocktail. Add ice to taste, but remember that the more you add, the more it will dilute your bison grass vodka cocktail. For 2 servings I have used 200 ml apple juice and 100 ml vodka. In this case it is 2 parts apple juice and 1 part bison grass vodka. Szarlotka, like most cocktail recipes, follows a proportion. To honour this Polish cocktail recipe, I used a Polish one. Related: Polish honey cake with semolina cream.Īt airport duty free shops I have seen various brands making żubrówka, so check with your liquor store to see what bison grass vodka you can find. The bison in Polish is called żubr, hence the name żubrówka for bison grass vodka. The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the European bison, also known as wisent. To make Żubrówka you infuse pure vodka with a tincture of bison grass.īison grass is special to Poland as it grows in Puszcza Białowieska, a national park that lays across the border between Poland and Belarus.

Many believe it is the leaf alone that gives the vodka both the colour and the flavour, but that is not completely true.

Although you can make it simple and just stop there at apple juice and bison grass vodka, the addition of cinnamon really makes this vodka cocktail an unforgettable experience.īison grass vodka in Polish is called Żubrówka and what makes it immediately recognisable is the leaf of bison grass in the bottle and its pale yellow tone. Szarlotka cocktail is a Polish apple and bison grass vodka drink named after Polish apple pie. Szarlotka is also something you can order at the bar, and it’s the recipe this post is about. The apple and cinnamon combo in Poland does not refer to apple pie only. Or how wonderful this cake tastes with a generous serving of whipped cream. And I haven’t even started raving about the role of butter. Honestly, either way you have it you’ll be amazed by the multiple layers of flavour that this cake can deliver. Have it cold and the first thing to hit you will be the juicy tartness of the apples.

Have it warm and the cinnamon will bring out all the sweetness of this cake. Made with a buttery shortcrust, its most notable feature is the combination of apple and cinnamon. Szarlotka is actually the name of Polish apple pie. Apple juice, bison grass Żubrówka vodka and a hint of cinnamon. Poland’s most beloved vodka and juice cocktail has to be szarlotka cocktail.

The addition of a cold juice tones the alcohol content down and adds interesting flavour profiles. Clean vodka shots are a popular dinner accompaniment, but vodka cocktails are more popular during the summer. Szarlotka is Poland’s favourite way of drinking bison grass vodka in a cocktail.