Jeppson's Malört
Jeppson's · CH Distillery
Malört is not a spirit you recommend lightly — it's a rite of passage, a loyalty test, and a cultural artifact of Chicago's bar scene rolled into one defiant bottle. It does exactly one thing and does it with absolute conviction: deliver the most aggressively bitter drinking experience commercially available. Whether that's a feature or a bug depends entirely on who you are, but there's no denying its singular identity in the spirits world.
Nose
Intensely herbal and medicinal, with grapefruit pith, dandelion greens, and a sharp, almost antiseptic wormwood note that commands your full attention. Behind the bitterness sits a faint whiff of dried chamomile and something vaguely floral, though you have to work to find it. There's no hiding from the botanicals here — this nose is uncompromising.
Palate
The first sip is a confrontation. An overwhelming wave of bitter wormwood floods the palate, followed by grapefruit rind, burnt herbs, and a curious, lingering soapy quality. There's a faint sweetness mid-palate that barely registers before the bitterness reasserts itself with authority. The mouthfeel is oily and coating, ensuring the experience stays with you.
Finish
Extremely long, profoundly bitter, and herbaceous. The aftertaste has been described — accurately — as resembling pencil shavings and regret, though devotees would call it persistence and character.
Cocktail Suggestion
The Chicago Handshake — Pour 1.5 oz Jeppson's Malört into a shot glass. Serve alongside an ice-cold Old Style lager. Shoot the Malört, chase with the beer. No garnish, no apologies.
Food Pairing
Rich, fatty foods like Chicago-style deep dish pizza or a char-grilled Italian beef sandwich — the bitterness cuts through heaviness like nothing else can.
Originally produced by Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson during Prohibition-era Chicago as a medicinal tonic, Malört survived decades of near-obscurity before becoming the city's most infamous — and beloved — local spirit, now distilled by CH Distillery on the city's West Side.
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