🍸 Polish vodka (Polska Wódka)
Protected EU name since 2003: vodka from alcohol of rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes grown and processed in Poland.
Polish Vodka (Polska Wódka / Polish Vodka) is an EU geographical indication registered on 23 September 2003. Only vodka made from alcohol of rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes grown in Poland, with all production stages carried out in Poland, may bear this name. The strength is from 37.5% vol., as for any EU vodka.
The definition is given in article 38 of the 2006 Polish law on the production of spirit drinks, as amended by the law of 25 May 2012. Polska Wódka comes in two kinds. The first is vodka with no additives except water. The second is flavoured vodka with a predominant taste different from that of the raw material: with natural aromatic substances, in some cases with colourings, and with no more than 100 g of sugar per litre of pure alcohol. The vodka may be aged to give it particular properties.
The 2012 amendment entered into force six months after its publication, and vodka made under the old rules could be sold for another 18 months. Maize is not on the list of raw materials.
In the eAmbrosia register, Polska Wódka is entered in two categories at once: 15 (vodka) and 31 (flavoured vodka). On the same day a separate Polish geographical indication went to the herbal vodka from the North Podlasie Lowland, flavoured with an extract of bison grass.
Why it matters to you. The word "wódka" on a bottle does not guarantee that the raw material is Polish, but "Polska Wódka" does: Polish grain or potatoes and all production in Poland. Vodka bottled in Poland from imported alcohol does not get this name. WHO: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | 15 — vodka and 31 — flavoured vodka; GI PGI-PL-01967 |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 37.5% vol. |
| Raw material | rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes grown in Poland |
| Year founded | GI registered on 23.09.2003; new definition — law of 25.05.2012 |
| Legal basis | art. 38(1) of the Polish law of 18.10.2006 (Dz. U. 2012 poz. 800); Reg. (EU) 2019/787 |
How it connects to Spirits
🍸 Polish vodka (Polska Wódka) → kind of → 🌾 Vodka and grain spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Packed in
- 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- 🥔 Potato vodka
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol, 🧪 Water, 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Products
- 🍸 Vodka, 🍸 Flavoured vodka
- Type
- 🍸 Flavoured vodka
- Part of
- 🌾 Vodka and grain spirits, 🍸 Vodka
- Related to
- 🗺️ Polish wine
- Similar and different
- 🌼 Gentian spirit, 🍸 Gin, 🍸 Ukrainian horilka, 🥔 Potato vodka
Frequently asked questions
What is Polska Wódka?
An EU geographical indication since 23.09.2003: vodka made from alcohol of Polish rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes, with all production stages in Poland.
What raw materials may Polska Wódka be made from?
Only rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes grown in Poland (article 38, paragraph 1 of the Polish law as amended in 2012). Maize is not on the list.
Is it true that Polska Wódka is always colourless and tasteless?
No. The law also recognises flavoured Polska Wódka, with a predominant taste, natural aromatic substances, sometimes colourings, and sugar up to 100 g per litre of pure alcohol.
May Polska Wódka be aged?
Yes. The law expressly allows ageing to give the vodka particular organoleptic properties.
What is the strength of Polska Wódka?
At least 37.5% vol., as for all vodka under EU Regulation 2019/787 (categories 15 and 31).
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍸 Gin — A spirit flavoured with juniper berries: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., juniper must dominate, and “dry” means up to 0.1 g/l of sugar.
Similar
🥃 Awamori · 🥃 Steinhäger · 🥃 Sárrét blackthorn pálinka (Sárréti kökénypálinka) · 🥃 Újfehértó sour cherry pálinka (Újfehértói meggypálinka) · 🥃 Genever · 🥃 Feni
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Ustawa z dnia 25 maja 2012 r. o zmianie ustawy o wyrobie napojów spirytusowych… (Dz. U. 2012 poz. 800): nowe brzmienie art. 38 ust. 1 «Polska Wódka/Polish Vodka»
- eAmbrosia (EU register of geographical indications): Polska Wódka / Polish Vodka, PGI-PL-01967 (EUGI00000014208)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I
- eAmbrosia — EU register of geographical indications, public API (spirit drinks; data of 20.10.2026)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)