Jeppson's Malört facts for kids

Jeppson's Malört is a special kind of bitter drink, first made in the 1930s. It was created by the Carl Jeppson Company in Chicago. In 2018, a company called CH Distillery, also from Chicago, bought the brand.

Malört is named after Carl Jeppson, who was an immigrant from Sweden. He was the first person to make and sell this drink in Chicago. The word Malört means wormwood in Swedish. Wormwood is a key ingredient in this type of bitter Swedish drink.

Malört is famous for its very bitter taste. You can find it in some places in Chicago, like taverns and stores. It's becoming more popular there, but it's still hard to find in other parts of the United States.

History of Jeppson's Malört

How Malört Started

In the 1930s, Carl Jeppson, a Swedish immigrant living in Chicago, began selling his homemade drink. He would sell it door-to-door. Some stories say he liked the strong taste because years of smoking had made his taste buds less sensitive.

Later, a lawyer named George Brode bought Carl Jeppson's original recipe. Brode created a famous message about Jeppson's Malört that used to be on every bottle. Patricia Gabelick started working for Brode as his secretary in 1966. After Brode passed away in 1999, she took over the business. She even ran it from her apartment in Lakeview.

Where Malört Was Made

Jeppson's Malört was made in Chicago until the mid-1970s. That's when the Mar-Salle distillery, which produced it, closed down. For a short time, it was made in Kentucky. After that, it was produced in Florida for many years.

In 2018, CH Distillery, a company based in Chicago, bought Jeppson's Malört. In 2019, the production of the drink moved back to Chicago.

The Malört Bottle Label

For many years, the back label of the Malört bottle had a long message. It said that most people trying Malört for the first time might not like it. It described the taste as strong, sharp, and even "brutal." The old label also mentioned that only a small number of people would drink it. It ended by saying the taste "lingers and lasts – seemingly forever."

The label was changed more recently. Now, it says that Jeppson Malört has the smell and full flavor of an unusual plant. It also states that its bitter taste is enjoyed by "two-fisted drinkers."

The label also shows a shield with a design similar to Chicago's flag. The city's flag has had four red stars since 1939. However, the Malört label still shows three red stars, like the Chicago flag from 1933.

Malört's Unique Reputation

A Chicago Tradition

Even though Malört is a "niche" drink, meaning it's not for everyone, it has become very well-known in Chicago. It's popular among bartenders and some local groups. Many people in Chicago see trying Malört as a special "rite of passage."

The writer and comedian John Hodgman has even featured the drink in his shows. He once said that Jeppson's Malört "tastes like pencil shavings and heartbreak."

For a long time, Malört was mostly sold only in the Chicago area. In the summer of 2013, a Chicago bar called Red Door made Malört–infused snow cones. This bar often serves snow cones with unique flavors in the summer. Malört has also been used in special desserts. For example, Hoosier Mama Pie Co. in West Town used Jeppson's in 2017 to create a special "meringue-style pie."

Malört in Pop Culture

In the 2013 movie Drinking Buddies, trying a Malört drink is shown as a Chicago tradition. It's even described as a way to forget past mistakes. Tremaine Atkinson, who started CH Distillery, first tried Malört when he moved to Chicago. He compared the taste to "taking a bite out of a grapefruit and then drinking a shot of gasoline."

Malört is also part of a popular Chicago combination called the Chicago Handshake. This involves having Malört with an Old Style beer.

In August 2015, the High-Hat Club was named the Best Malört Bar in Chicago. They won the Carl Cup, which is a special trophy passed between champions, much like the Stanley Cup in hockey.

The Malört Trademark

Sometimes people mistakenly think "Malört" is a general name for this type of bitter drink. However, the word "Malört" is actually a registered brand name owned by the Carl Jeppson Company. The company officially secured the trademark on November 3, 2015. Other companies that made similar drinks had to change their names before this date. For example, one company changed its drink name to "Bësk," and another called theirs "Anguish and Regret."