Tatanka

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (45 ratings)

Serve in a Double old-fashioned

Ingredients:
2 oz Bison grass vodka
2 12 oz Apple juice/apple cider (cloudy & unsweetened)
16 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Garnish: Apple slice or dehydrated apple slice dusted with cinnamon powder

How to make:

POUR all ingredients into glass, then fill with ice and STIR.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 6/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10

Review:

This excellent cocktail's taste is a little reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. It's equally good shaken and served straight-up in a coupe.

View readers' comments

History:

This Polish cocktail takes its name from Dances With Wolves, the 1990 Western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner. Tatanka is a Native American word for buffalo and refers to the bison grass-flavoured vodka this cocktail is based on.

Nutrition:

One serving of Tatanka contains 170 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.3 standard drinks
  • 13.5% alc./vol. (13.5° proof)
  • 18.9 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Calvin Grant’s Avatar Calvin Grant
3rd November 2024 at 03:27
Glad I tried this. Excellent long drink (it grew on me). Lacking apples to slice, I lightly dusted the surface with cinnamon. Can only wonder how much better better this could be with authentic Polish bison grass vodka as the U.S. version contains no coumarin, the essential flavor component in sweet grass!
Chris Haley’s Avatar Chris Haley
18th November 2022 at 03:32
Was out of limes so used lemon. I liked it better! I'm thinking lemon pairs better with apples than lime does.
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
28th December 2022 at 21:40
Agreed Chris. Also, thanks to comment by Ignacy, I now know that lemon juice is the correct Polish traditional serve.
Ignacy Szczupal’s Avatar Ignacy Szczupal
24th September 2022 at 18:50
Traditionally in Poland this cocktail is build in the glass (no shaker) putting in order Zubrowka, apple juice and lemon juice without even stirring. It is the Polish equivalent of gin and tonic. I tried the shaker version but it doesn't taste the same. It is served with cinnamon powder and a piece of apple as a garnish.

For the record, tatanka is a rift of a cocktail called Szarlotka (Apple pie) made only with zubrowka and apple juice.
Ignacy Szczupal’s Avatar Ignacy Szczupal
30th December 2022 at 18:32
It was a good experiment to see how the method of preparation changes the taste of the cocktail. The shaker version exacerbates the citrus tones significantly.
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
28th December 2022 at 21:37
Many thanks, Ignacy. I've amended to be stirred in glass rather than shaken. I'll reshoot to also correct the garnish.
David Porter’s Avatar David Porter
15th March 2021 at 21:18
Found the amount of apple juice overpowering but cannot wait to try in apple season with russets.