Jeppson's Malort Liqueur

We all know the distinctive faces that can be made after tasting a lemon or a lime, right? It is not so good when it is you that is experiencing it, but it can be quite amusing watching someone else's reaction. We all know..... the look! Every muscle in your face seems to tighten all at once and you hope that the taste passes as quick as possible. Well, we recently brought in a liqueur that has been known to cause that same affect on people. This is its main purpose and what is odd about it, is people are willing and actually pay for it. In fact, it has become the new look in the Chicagoland area bars and clubs. It is called Malort. But what actually is this that has taken over the Chicago night scene?

Malort is a type of Swedish liquor called a besk brannvin and it is flavored with wormwood. The word malort itself is Swedish for wormwood. Hundreds of years ago in Sweden, Malort was found all over and many families had their own recipes.

It became the most popular drink in the country and no one knows why. When it was brought here by Carl Jeppson in the mid 1880's, it became quite popular here as well. After a few years, Carl sold it to a Chicago lawyer named George Brode, who also owned a liquor company. Over time, George ended up selling all of his company except for one product... Malort. He loved the challenge of trying to sell something that was so awful tasting. Upon his passing, George left the Malort company to his long time secretary Pat Gabelick. It is still known to be the talk of the town in Chicago.

The flavor of Malort is so unique, you almost have to experience it on your own. The extreme bitter shock value is what is so hyped about it. What is also interesting about this liquor is that it is original to and can only be found in the Chicago metro area. It can be found at late night bars all over the city. It has now found its way to LaSalle and the Uptown Grill. Next time you are in, we want to encourage you to try this liqueur for the enjoyment of your friends. Trust us, you will not want to sip on this one. Taking as a shot is the preferred method of drinking. Here is a link below to get an idea on what you are in for. This just came in so we triple dog dare you to give it a try. Make sure you bring others, we all want to see your Malort face.

Click to view a video collection of Malort reactions.

Click here to read more on this Chicago cocktail.