The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
1–10 of 152 posts
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#2https://web.archive.org/web/20241115175926/https://www.nytim...
edit: IDK how ethically right it is (in my opinion it is) but when posting paywalled content we should post the archive link directly or at least as part of the submission
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#3The only thing I know about Malört is that tptacek enjoys complaining about Malört, so I'm looking forward to learning even more about that one thing.
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#4https://web.archive.org/web/20241115175926/https://www.nytim... edit: IDK how ethically right it is (in my opinion it is) but when posting paywalled content we should post the archive link directly or at least as part of the submission
The archive link is also paywalled.
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#5The only thing I know about Malört is that tptacek enjoys complaining about Malört, so I'm looking forward to learning even more about that one thing.
I think that it's unpleasant, but found that its reputation is greatly exaggerated. There are much worse liquors available if that's your jam.
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#6I like it fine, it doesn't taste especially unusual among other herbal bitter liquors, a category I like. It's not the best (or as expensive as the best! they can get pricey), but it's not the worst, it's a fine drink.
The NYT story above mostly stayed away from how it's become known as like "the worst drink ever" or something, something you drink as a kind of challenge rather than that it's enjoyable.
I've suspected that the manufacturer has been actually encouraging this story. In the age of "challenges", a narrative that this is an incredibly hard to drink thing that's a challenge to drink is actually good marketting, that has been part of it's successful national awareness?
It's not especially challenging, it's just an herbal bitter, which is not for everyone, sure. But it's not gross, it's a fine drink -- and ironically saying this, that it's not actually exceptionally bad, hurts it's marketing! Better to be exceptionally noteworthy bad than simply typical.
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#7Ok, Malört is the name of an alcoholic beverage. It is unclear to me why a liquid would be called a "princess" but maybe it reflects the jargon of aficionados.
Malört was introduced in Chicago in the 1930s and was long produced by the Carl Jeppson Company. In 2018, as its last employee was retiring, the brand and company name were sold to CH Distillery of Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Jeppson's Malört is named after Carl Jeppson, a Swedish immigrant who first distilled and popularized the liquor in Chicago. Malört (literally moth herb) is the Swedish word for wormwood, which is the key ingredient in bäsk. Malört is extremely low in thujone, a chemical once prevalent in absinthe and similar drinks.
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#8> It is also, in five words, the unofficial liquor of Chicago
No, it's a meme that hipsters have somehow latched onto because the Chicago aesthetic seems to be popular now.
If a native Chicagoan tells you that you have to have a shot of Malort when you're at the bar because it's the "unofficial liquor of Chicago" - they're pulling a prank. It's somehow lasted a century as a prank you pull on your buddies who don't drink that often.
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#9https://web.archive.org/web/20241115175926/https://www.nytim... edit: IDK how ethically right it is (in my opinion it is) but when posting paywalled content we should post the archive link directly or at least as part of the submission
The archive link is also paywalled.
That's good to know and terrible news. It looks like a different paywall than the one I see going directly to the NYT link, it let me view the article the first time and now simply entered an unresolving state.
Anyway shame on you NYT, this is like boycotting the web archive, ridiculous...
Re: The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess
#10Malört is the name of the herb wormwood in Swedish.
The swedish name means "clothing moth herb", and has been used to fight cloth moths among other uses. Also especially popular spirit flavoring, which it's latin name hints of.
Artemisia absinthium