Most cities have a beverage – either a brand or type of drink – that locals are proud to call their own. St. Louis has Budweiser, and the cocktail as we know it was more or less invented in New Orleans. Chicago has Jeppson’s Malort, a digestif distilled from the wormwood herb that polarizes locals due to its notoriously bitter aftertaste.
Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson started making it during Prohibition, selling it as a stomach medicine after authorities ruled that it was unlikely to be consumed for pleasure. Of course, it’s legal now, although there are plenty of people who think it shouldn’t be. Still, Malort also has fans who love it unironically and have found ways to celebrate it in numerous ways.
Nisei Lounge
Tradition: The “Chicago Handshake,” a shot of Malort chased with an Old Style beer, is a rite of passage for visitors to the city, particularly at a dive bar. The Nisei Lounge, a Wrigleyville spot known for its infused Malorts, is a natural spot to try it.
Brass Tack
Classing It Up: The Waldorf Astoria on the Gold Coast may be the last place in town one would expect to find Malort. But the mixology team at Brass Tack has created Oh Malort, a cocktail that adds amaretto, lime and pineapple juices, and honey to the spirit.
Jinsei Motto
Locally Made Again: In 2018, CH Distillery purchased Jeppson’s and brought Malort production back to Chicago for the first time since the mid-1980s. At West Loop’s Jinsei Motto, the sushi restaurant next to the distillery in the West Loop, go with the White Negroni, where Malort is combined with CH’s London dry gin, blanc vermouth and grapefruit bitters.
Malort Face Hot Sauce
Even More Painful: Named after the reflexive grimace after taking a shot, local hot sauce manufacturer Soothsayer has created Malort Face, where the spirit gets heat from yellow ghost peppers, with grapefruit adding extra flavor. Find it at Hexe Coffee in Lincoln Park, Provisions in Rogers Park and Beard & Belly in Edgewater.
