Three uses for Malört
Malört is a digestif, derived from Swedish båska, that contains a lot of wormwood & emotional baggage. Its top notes are grapefruit rind and pine. It is mostly available here in Chicago, but it nominally has national distribution. Like fascism or prairie fires, Malört is not something a person can have a particularly neutral opinion on. You are here for what it presents, or you are not. Most of you are not.
Malört’s primary failure is in its presentation: a shot glass. One does shots of Malört like they do shots of Zwack or Campari, which is to say in defiance of god. Within this is the emphasis of a dare, the embrace of a triumph, or the wallow of defeat. “What’s Malört,” the tourist says, immediately before they are Malörted. The word malört even sounds like it’s some sort of awful chronic disease.
So I am here to propose that Malört has three purposes, all of which are positive; and none of them are to give to your enemies as a dare shot. Malört is misunderstood, and it is in our power to reclaim it.
The first use
As mentioned, Malört’s top note is grapefruit. I am here to inform you that any grapefruit-based beverage is benefitted by the addition of Malört.
This includes, in descending order of excellence:
- Stiegl Radler
- Fever Tree grapefruit soda
- Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin
- Pamplemousse La Croix
A shot of Malört in a can of grapefruit-flavored Stiegl Radler is the beverage of the summer. It is also the beverage of every summer. Adding Malört to any beverage implies an odd bitter hoppiness to it, while cutting the infamous astringency of its finish.
The second use
One can usefully cut Malört’s wormwood bitterness in cocktails by adding sweetness.
Malort Flip
- 1.5oz Broker’s gin
- 0.75oz Malört
- 0.25oz St. Germain
- Whole egg
- Grapefruit bitters of your choice (I like Fee Brothers)
Combine everything but the bitters in a shaker without ice, shake to make a meringue, add ice, shake well, add bitters.
The third use
Embalming fluid.