Chicago's Malört Liqueur Is Said To Be One Of The Worst Tasting In The World, But What Flavor Is It Anyway?

Malört is commonly known as one of the least palatable liqueurs on the market, with many people drinking it as a dare or out of sheer curiosity. Even the marketing on its website leans into the fact that it's not a drink made for everyone, citing that during prohibition Malört was advertised as a medicinal product just to remain on shelves; law enforcement let it pass as they felt nobody would drink it recreationally.  

Also known as "Bäsk" in Swedish, the name directly translates to "bitter," so it's no surprise that the flavor matches. The word "Malört" translates to "wormwood," which is the primary source of that bitter taste. Fitting with the theme of bitter herbal notes, one of the other main flavors in Malört is anise, but don't expect that to fully overpower the wormwood. While anise may be a major flavor player in other popular liqueurs like absinthe or anisette, you won't be greeted with a similar experience in a sip of Malört. The arguably pleasant licorice taste is one that many people are familiar with from their day-to-day lives, but everything else in Malört causes it to stray out of people's comfort zone.

Pairing with the wormwood and anise, and rounding out Malört's bitterness profile in a fruity fashion, are grapefruit notes. That grapefruit flavor seems to stick out to drinkers the most, differentiating Malört from anisette or absinthe. However, rather than the bitter-yet-pleasant taste of grapefruit juice, people commonly say that Malört tastes more like a grapefruit's rind. While it's not unheard of for some people to find reasons to love Malört liqueur (check out our round-up), that grapefruit flavor is often what puts people off from the overall experience. It adds a sourness that drastically affects the overall flavors of the liqueur — but there are still more interesting ways to describe its flavor profile.

Although Jeppson's Malört's tagline is "Do not enjoy. Responsibly," and its website prominently features two people clearly struggling to drink it, there is an air of respect for the liqueur. However, many don't share that sentiment, describing Malört in rather colorful ways ranging from funny to downright offensive. Some describe it as tasting like rubber bands, while others feel that it's somewhat more organic, with hints of bile or just straight vomit. Pair that with the taste of liquid being drunk out of dirty gym socks or old shoes and you'll get a good idea of how detractors feel about Malört. It's even been described more ethereally, saying that it tastes like depression or the year 2020.

This isn't all to say that Jeppson's Malört can't be made to taste good. Every state has their own signature drinks, and with Malört belonging undeniably to Illinois, it makes sense that a Chicago piemaker would add Malört into a pie. Grapefruit-forward, yet not quite as strong as the drink on its own, this managed to be something of a success. Although most people may not describe Malört as one of their favorite drinks, it's still got a choke-hold on Chicago's culture, even if just to shock those from out of town.

If you desire to try this diabolical drink for yourself, there are ways to make it more pleasant. You can't avoid the taste of Malört from a shot, but you can chase it with something equally strong like pure grapefruit or cranberry juice to cover up some of the aftertaste. For a cocktail, a Malört Negroni is a popular choice, with 1 ½ ounces of sweet vermouth and gin mixed with 1 ounce of Malört. Play around with the flavors for yourself, and you can surely find a way to stomach Chicago's most controversial liqueur.