This just in: Malört, the bitter wormwood liqueur long popular across greater Chicagoland, is going national. The Windy City’s greatest secret is out, and you’re now just as likely to find this bartender’s handshake in a Bushwick cocktail bar as you are at a South Side dive. Originally introduced by Swedish immigrants to Chicago in the early 1900s, the infused brännvin was sold as medicine to treat stomach ailments during prohibition. Known for its infamously unappealing flavor, harshly bitter and synthetic, generations of Chicagoans have considered a shot of to be something of a rite of passage, as well as something to make your unassuming friends from out of town try. For a long time, it was unheard of outside the metro area.
That era of mischief and obscurity may fast be coming to a close as Jeppsons (the company that produces Malört) is making bottles more available at bars and liquor stores across the country. Don’t believe me? Use this tool on their website to check for availability in your area. It’s not quite everywhere yet, but you’ll see it is no longer confined to northeastern Illinois. Read More >>
