There's no other bottle quite like Jeppson's Malört. It is a bäsk-style spirit built around wormwood, and it is known for being intensely bitter. Malört is the Swedish word for wormwood.
Jeppson's Malört was created by Carl Jeppson, a Swedish immigrant to Chicago, and was introduced in the 1930s. CH Distillery, in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, bought the brand in 2018, and production moved back to Chicago in 2019. It is bottled at 70 proof.
If you live in Chicago, this is a rite of passage in our opinion. There's also a more serious use: a small measure of Malört adds a distinctive bitterness to a cocktail. A half ounce in a whiskey sour is a good place to start. The line between accent and punishment is thin.
Jeppson's Malört is $30 at Off Premise, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, and was in stock as of October 30, 2026. You've been warned, and you should do it anyway.
Jeppson's Malört is on the shelf at Off Premise, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, for $30. Pick it up in store. You've been warned — and you should do it anyway.
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