Malört

Malört, a distilled beverage, is the name of a Swedish style of schnapps called "Bäska Droppar", flavored with wormwood. The word malört is the Swedish word for the wormwood plant. The smell and taste is musty and extremely bitter. Malört is popularly alleged to be a cure for indigestion.

• From the label of Jeppson's Malört:

"Most first-time drinkers of Jeppson Malort reject our liquor. Its strong, sharp taste is not for everyone. Our liquor is rugged and unrelenting (even brutal) to the palate. During almost 60 years of American distribution, we found only 1 out of 49 men will drink Jeppson Malort. During the lifetime of our founder, Carl Jeppson was apt to say, 'My Malort is produced for that unique group of drinkers who disdain light flavor or neutral spirits.'

It is not possible to forget our two-fisted liquor. The taste just lingers and lasts - seemingly forever. The first shot is hard to swallow! PERSERVERE [sic]. Make it past two 'shock-glasses' and with the third you could be ours...forever"[1]

The only distributor of Malört in the United States is the Carl Jeppson company of Chicago, named after a Swedish immigrant who popularized and sold the liquor in Chicago. Made in Chicago until the 70's, Malört is currently produced in Florida exclusively for Jeppson's.[2] Jeppson's Malört is a staple of Chicago area taverns, but not well known elsewhere in the United States. According to CocktailDB.com, "it has been adopted enthusiastically by bikers and is a mainstay at biker bars."

Jeppson Malört is currently owned by Patricia Gabelick, who inherited the company from George Brode, who bought it in the 1930s. Brode created the famous Malört testimonial that once appeared on every bottle. While Gabelick acknowledges that the drink is a "niche liquor," selling a comparatively small 1,000 to 1,200 cases annually, it has gained increased relevance among hipsters, bikers, and Chicago's Hispanic community, where Gabelick's notes that it has become "a rite of passage." Satirist John Hodgman also has adopted the drink in his stage show, offering shots to his audience. [3]

Malört is often known as "Northern Discomfort" in Chicago area bars, most notably The Handlebar. This name is a play on Southern Comfort, and may be abbreviated as such (i.e. 'SoCo' is the abbreviated, hence 'NoCo', 'NoDis', 'NorDis', or 'NoDisco'.)

A similar drink is manufactured in Sweden by the company V&S (Vin & Sprit AB). This product is named "Bäska Droppar" and is sold in 0.5 liter bottles.

In June of 2011, Malört won "The World's Worst Liquor" contest on NPR's podcast, How To Do Everything. [4]

External links

• Bäska Droppar at Vin & Sprit AB
• The AV Club Taste Test: Jeppson's Malört
• T&T's Bad Booze Review: Malört
• Daily Finance: Turning Foul Flavors Into Sweet Success
• AOL News Team Drinks Jeppson's Malort

See also

• Piołunówka
• Absinthe
• Chicago culture