Malört
Encyclopedia
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.
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.http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/372617,CST-NWS-brown06.articleprint Jeppson's Malört is a staple of Chicago area tavern
s, 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. http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/media/Some-Companies-Turn-Foul-Flavors-Into-Sweet-Success/19471921/
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. http://howtodoeverything.org/post/6300456513/we-tell-you-how-to-get-soap-out-of-your-eye-in
In November of 2011, Jeppson's Malört held a Twitter-based contest to come up with a slogan for the infamous beverage. The winning slogan came from Brian Asner: "Malort: Kick your mouth in the balls." http://twitter.com/#!/asner/status/137287742135603201 Notably, the second place submission came from Brendan Kelly
, lead singer of the Chicago-based band The Lawrence Arms
: "Malort: Because these pants aren't gonna shit themselves." http://twitter.com/#!/badsandwich/status/138023614149701632
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
, is the name of a Swedish style of schnapps
Schnapps
Schnapps is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage. The English word schnapps is derived from the German Schnaps , which can refer to any strong alcoholic drink but particularly those containing at least 32% ABV...
called "Bäska Droppar", flavored with wormwood
Artemisia (plant)
Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 to 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry...
. The word malört is the Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
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"http://cubdumb.blogspot.com/2005/06/chicagos-very-own-jeppson-malort.html
The only distributor of Malört in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is the Carl Jeppson company of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, 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.http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/372617,CST-NWS-brown06.articleprint Jeppson's Malört is a staple of Chicago area tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
s, but not well known elsewhere in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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. http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/media/Some-Companies-Turn-Foul-Flavors-Into-Sweet-Success/19471921/
Malört is often known as "Northern Discomfort" in Chicago area bars, most notably The Handlebar. This name is a play on Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort is an American liqueur made from neutral spirits with fruit, spice and whiskey flavourings. The brand was originally created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, and is now owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation...
, 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. http://howtodoeverything.org/post/6300456513/we-tell-you-how-to-get-soap-out-of-your-eye-in
In November of 2011, Jeppson's Malört held a Twitter-based contest to come up with a slogan for the infamous beverage. The winning slogan came from Brian Asner: "Malort: Kick your mouth in the balls." http://twitter.com/#!/asner/status/137287742135603201 Notably, the second place submission came from Brendan Kelly
Brendan Kelly
Brendan Kelly may refer to:*Brendan Kelly *Brendan Kelly *Brendan Kelly...
, lead singer of the Chicago-based band The Lawrence Arms
The Lawrence Arms
The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. They have released five full-length albums and toured extensively.-Pre-history:...
: "Malort: Because these pants aren't gonna shit themselves." http://twitter.com/#!/badsandwich/status/138023614149701632