wicker park sour

1 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with 3 drops Peychaud's Bitters. Two Saturdays prior, I opened up my copy of Toby Maloney's The Bartender's Manifesto book and was taken in by the Wicker Park Sour by Andrew Mackey at The Violet Hour circa 2011. Overall, the recipe read like a Pisco Sour that gained Malört, grapefruit, and honey to give it Chicago stylings. Once shaken and strained, the Wicker Park Sour began with an anise aroma from the Peychaud's Bitters garnish. Next, a creamy lemon, grapefruit, and honey sip evolved into bitter grapefruit pith and honey flavors on the swallow. While the drink allowed me to crack open my recent restocked bottle of pisco, that spirit was a bit lost in the mix and acted more like a flavor elongator akin to vodka in the Fernet-containing Sputnik.

honey i'm home

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc (Servito)
1/4 oz Malört
1/4 oz TVH2 (Honey Syrup)
2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. The drink that I had prepared in advance while I was at the USBG Bar Summit in Philadelphia on Monday was the Honey I'm Home from Chicago's The Violet Hour for their Summer 2022 menu. I was able to source the spec through online recipe flashcards, and my cheatsheat from the bar defines TVH2 as honey or honey-ginger-cinnamon syrup (which makes perfect sense given the drink's name), so I went with the one that I had on hand. While I have not had a Genever-tequila cocktail before, there are four Genever-mezcal ones on the blog dating back to 2009 with Misty Kalkofen's 1820. Once prepared, the Honey I'm Home gave forth a lemon, malty, and vegetal bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and white grape notes on the sip delved into tequila, malty, honey, and bitter flavors on the swallow.

anderson punch

1 3/4 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the day before's Amaro Rusty Nail, and I took the idea in Malört direction after recalling how well it worked with Drambuie in the Bukowski. The combination ended up a bit too bright, but a dash of Angostura not only gave depth but complementary spice notes to the mix. For a name, I dubbed this one the Anderson Punch, the Chicken Man of Chicago, who was born in 1870 and became a legendary street performer that trained chickens to dance to his accordion and harmonica music. Punch was performing until the age of 101 before passing away in 1974. In the glass, the tribute to this colorful character of the Windy City gave forth grapefruit, honey, and Scotch aromas. Next, honey and malt notes on the sip welcomed in Scotch, honey, and grapefruit pith bitter flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Drambuie softened the Malört rather well.

evil hemingway

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Jeppson's Malört
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 peel Grapefruit ~1"x2" (omitted here, see note (*))

Shake with ice (*), strain into a coupe, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
(*) Optional: Adding in a grapefruit peel into the shake might balance the Maraschino better and round out Malört's grapefruit notes. When I posted my 2019 Swedish Paralysis on Reddit's Tiki forum after it won 3rd place in the Boston Malört competition, someone mentioned that they liked making that recipe with some Smith & Cross in the mix "as the funk and extra alcohol adds a nice punch and works well with the Malört." I replied that the duo played well in the Whistler's Lightning Swords of Death, so I could see why. Therefore, two Thursdays ago, I was inspired to sub in Malört for grapefruit juice in a Smith & Cross Hemingway Daiquiri given Malört's grapefruit notes. The drink that I dubbed the Evil Hemingway offered up grapefruit, nutty cherry, and rum funk aromas to the nose. Next, lime and a hint of caramel on the sip opened up into funky rum, bitter grapefruit, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow. In discussion with an Instagram friend, I mentioned that I thought that a "regal shake" with a grapefruit peel in the tins might balance mesh with the Maraschino better and round out Malört's inherent grapefruit notes.

chicagovardier

1 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Thursdays prior, I spotted an interesting Malört recipe on the KindredCocktails database called the Chicagovardier. It was created and posted by Chicago home enthusiast RoscoeHour in 2025, and he was inspired by a love of the Malört-amaro pairing and took it in a Boulevardier direction by adding sweet vermouth. Malört has paired well with amaro before like Fernet in the Chicago Underground, Averna in the All That Jazz, and Cardamaro in the Continual Risk, and I had good luck matching Malört's intensity with sweet vermouth in the Ada Lovecraft. Once stirred and strained, the Chicagovardier gave forth a grapefruit, caramel, floral, and grape aroma. Next, chocolate, grape, and citrus notes on the sip ventured into dark herbal, grapefruit, pine, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

1856

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Smoke Wagon Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded) (*)
1/4 oz Malört (Jeppson's)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass wth a large cube, and garnish with a blood orange slice (grapefruit twist).
(*) Smoke Wagon is a high rye Bourbon from MGI/MGP (so sub something similar or even a rye).Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a Malört recipe that I had spotted in online recipe flashcards for the Firewood BBQ in Chicago called the 1856. I surmise that the name reflects their address of 1856 W. North Ave. In the glass, the 1856 gave forth grapefruit, smoke, and fruity aromas to the nose. Next, grape and grapefruit notes on the sip smoldered into Bourbon, smoky, vegetal, and bitter grapefruit flavors on the swallow. Unlike some of my more recent gentle Malört experiences like the Wake Up Call, this one came across as a bit more aggressively bitter. Moreover, I have found that rye has paired better with mezcal than Bourbon has, so perhaps this drink might prosper more with a rye whiskey.

the chicago underground

3/4 oz Jeppson's Malört
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Fridays ago, I spotted a reference to a two year old post on Reddit's cocktails forum from user Fnordianslips for a drink called The Chicago Underground. They describe it as their Chicago-style take on the Industry Sour. The post described, "This Industry Sour riff is an attempt at a cocktail tasty enough to get me through a bottle of Malört. And by God, it works! Fernet adds the complexity Malört's wormwood needs, and it all plays very nicely with lime and simple." Not one to back down from the challenge of drinking two of the most surly liqueurs in one glass (which I did one time before in the Ada Lovecraft), I mixed this one up. The result proffered minty, menthol, pineapple, and grapefruit aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and lime on the sip shuffled into bitter grapefruit, gentian, minty, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

fireside

1 1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 oz Bombay Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Two Saturdays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcard sets when I spotted the Fireside that reminded me a little of the Wake Up Call that I had in Colorado with the Malört, cinnamon, and citrus elements; the Fireside was created at the now closed County Barbeque in Chicago circa 2015. Once prepared, the drink began with cinnamon, juniper, and herbal aromas on the nose. Next, lemon notes on the sip gave way to grapefruit, gin, bitter herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow. Like the Wake Up Call, the Malört's aggressive bitterness was tuned down, but not to the same extent here.

wake up call

1 1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
3/4 oz Fruitful Grapefruit Liqueur
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a dehydrated cinnamon-dusted grapefruit quarter slice. Two weeks ago, I was in Colorado Springs to give a talk on the intangible heritage of cocktails at the Colorado Preservation group's conference. When I got into town on Wednesday, I was smart enough to only visit brewery taprooms in the area so I could be in somewhat decent shape for my talk on Thursday afternoon. During a practice run on Thursday morning, I did not expect what being over 6000 feet above sea level can do to a speaker (I live closer to 60 feet); I was used to the air dryness' effect from having been in Denver for the USBG conference back in June, but I did not anticipate the lower amount of oxygen in the air changing my ability to fit in as many words per breath. After the talk, I had a bartending shift at the happy hour where I made two drinks that I covered in my session – Brother Cleve's Ninth Ward and Ben Sandrof's 1919 Cocktail. A pretty intense four hour stretch between the talk and producing over 90 cocktails that had me in need of dinner and drinks of my own. After dinner, I headed into downtown to go to Shame & Regret that I had scoped out the week before by its name and the drink menu. Bartender Emily Kindt told me that I needed to go to Chiba, a Japanese cyberpunk anime bar that the bartender at the Burrowing Owl where I had dinner mentioned, but first, I needed to go to Cocktails After Dusk. In fact, Emily walked me over there to introduce me to the bar team there before doing a shot and heading back to her bar. My night ended at Chiba with a Carthusian Sazerac (no recipe acquired but listed on the menu as rye, Boomsma Cloosterbitter (to replace the Green Chartreuse they used to make it with), Angostura Bitters, Leopold Absinthe spritz) and also later bumping into one of the bartenders from Cocktails After Dusk after his shift. It was really touching how the bar scene took care of me from dinner until last call. Also, it probably helped that I was wearing a Fernet Branca t-shirt, or as I told my co-worker when I got home, "Tell me you're industry without telling me." Backtracking to Shame & Regret, the cocktail I had prepared by Emily was the Wake Up Call (not her recipe though) with Malört. She described how "Malört sums up shame and regret" before pointing out their wall of Malört-face photos and mentioning that the bar is the largest Malört account in Colorado. The Wake Up Call's Malört, grapefruit, and lime combination reminded me of the Tragedy Plus Lime but without the mezcal and sherry though. In the glass, the drink donated a cinnamon and grapefruit bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet and full bodied citrussy sip led into grapefruit, cinnamon, and herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, the juices, syrup, and liqueur all helped to soften Malört's bitterness which made for it being a delight to drink!

dear chicago

1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Mathilde Pear (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Letherbee Malört (Jeppson's)
2 dash Bittermens Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a rosemary sprig (omit garnish).Two Fridays ago, I rediscovered the 2016 Maison Ferrand's New York City Cocktail Book online, and I decided on the Dear Chicago by Tonia Guffey at Dram that reminded me of the Exit Club on paper as a sweetened Gin Martini embittered with Malört. After stirring and straining, the Dear Chicago proffered an orange, pear, and pine bouquet to the nose. Next, a semi-dry and vaguely fruity sip led to gin, bitter grapefruit peel, and pear flavors on the swallow with an orange peel finish.

all that jazz

1 1/2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
3 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. No garnish was specified, but all the photos of Manhattans at the Driftwood Room have a cherry garnish, so I followed suit.Two Mondays ago, there was a thread today on Facebook discussing whether the Martini or the Manhattan was a superior drink. One of the Manhattan fans was bartender Jeff Terry who proffered his recipe called All that Jazz from the Driftwood Room in Portland, Oregon, where they have a section of five Manhattan variations on the menu. With Malört in the mix softened by the sweet richness of Averna and vermouth, I was intrigued. Once prepared, the All that Jazz began with a rye, caramel, and grapefruit aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow wrapped things up with rye, herbal, and bitter flavors with an orange finish. When Jeff asked me on Instagram what I thought, and I replied that I enjoyed it and that "The Malört gave a dry, bitter finish and an intriguing grapefruit aroma."

the bukowski

1 1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1/2 oz Drambuie
3/4 oz Orange Juice (*)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup 1:1 (*)
3-5 leaf Basil

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
(*) Robert Simonson reported having a more recent version of this drink (with the newer and softer Malört) where these two measures were 1/2 oz. See below.

Two Fridays ago, I had just finished Josh Noel's Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit book, and one of the chapters reminded me of the 2009 Chicago Reader article about a Malört challenge across town. From that article, I had previously made Paul McGee's Golden Eel, Toby Maloney's Ukranian Negroni, and Brad Bolt's Hard Sell. The recipe that stood out to make next was Charles Joly's The Bukowski from the Counting Room especially since I still had leaves on my basil plant outside. The article described how "The working name for this drink was the Dirty Old Man named after the column Charles Bukowski wrote for an underground newspaper in Los Angeles. Joly says there's no garnish because the writer would have just thrown it back at the bartender." My brother bought me a copy of Notes of a Dirty Old Man that was a collection of those columns for my birthday years ago, and it was my entry into Bukowski. I was already planning to make this one when Robert Simonson wrote on his Substack that afternoon about trying this drink. Robert got the recipe from Joly at a book launch event except this version had a 1/2 oz each of orange juice and honey syrup instead of 3/4 oz. Perhaps this was due to the new Chicago version of Malört being slightly softer and less bitter; however, I still had an old bottle of Florida-made liqueur, so I went with the 2009 recipe. Once prepared the original way, The Bukowski launched off with basil, honey, and minty-bitter herbal aromas. Next, a honey, lemon, and orange sip caroused with bitter herbal, honey, and basil flavors on the swallow. Overall, the combination reminded me of the midcentury Duke with Drambuie, orange, and lemon but taken in a bitter and herbal direction. One of my Instagram friends inquired, "I think of all things, the orange juice and basil combo was throwing me off the most" to which I responded that "the orange juice sooths rough edges, and the basil adds depth to the single botanical liqueur."

continual risk

1 1/2 oz Bar Hill Tom Cat Old Tom Gin
1 oz Cardamaro
1 oz Bittermens Baska Snaps Malört (Jeppson's)
1/4 oz Merlet Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
6 drop Angostura Bitters
3 drop Absinthe (Copper & Kings)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.For a libation two Thursdays prior, I went back to the collection of online recipe flashcards for the Patterson House in Nashville. There, I selected the embittered gin drink called the Continual Risk that I was able to spot on a Yelp menu photo from October 2022. The combination of malört and peach liqueur reminded me of the Bjorn Supremacy, but this went in a somewhat different direction. Once prepared, the Continual Risk showcased an orange, peach, and herbal bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip welcomed gin, bitter, herbal, and peach flavors on the swallow with a lingering honey and wormwood finish.

tragedy plus lime

1 oz Mezcal (Mezcal Union)
1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
3/4 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 pinch Salt

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.

Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted the humorously named recipe Tragedy Plus Lime that was created by a S. Bumgarner. Not only was I lured in by the pun, but I was curious as to how grapefruit liqueur and other elements would work with Malört. The name was based on the quote "Comedy equals tragedy plus time" that has often been attributed to Mark Twain; however, Twain may have said, "Humor is tragedy plus time." Others have unearthed a 1957 interview with Steve Allen who declared, "Man jokes about the things that depress him, but he usually waits till a certain amount of time has passed... I guess you can make a mathematical formula out of it. Tragedy plus time equals comedy." Lenny Bruce put his own spin on it by saying, "Satire is tragedy plus time." Otherwise, one might ask "Too Soon?"The drink database entry had the description "A Malört Margarita for those summer afternoons tinged with a hint of regret." With that, I set off mixing. Tragedy Plus Lime met the nose with a smoky agave aroma that led into a dry grape and lime sip. Next, the swallow followed through with mezcal, bitter herbal, and grapefruit notes. Overall, the balance was very much on the dry side of things, but I kept returning to the glass for another sip.

ada lovecraft

1 1/2 oz Malört (Jeppson's)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 dash Fernet Branca (1/8 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

After making the Hocus Pocus that was a riff on the Hanky Panky, I began to contemplate other things that began with the letters H & P. My mind soon drifted to the initials of the New England cosmic horror author H.P. Lovecraft, and that led me to Malört as the base spirit to represent the supernatural horror aspect. I dubbed this one the Ada Lovecraft as a nod to Ada Coleman who created the Hanky Panky at the Savoy Hotel bar.The Ada Lovecraft bubbled out of the glass with an orange, grape, and herbal aroma. Next, grape and orange notes lurched from the sip, and the swallow exalted the senses with bitter herbal grape flavors akin to Cardamaro with a grapefruit and menthol finish. The sugar in the sweet vermouth did a lot to mollify the rougher edges of Jeppson's Malört, so this was rather enjoyable to drink. "Pleasure to me is wonder – the unexplored, the unexpected, the thing that is hidden and the changeless thing that lurks behind superficial mutability." – H.P. Lovecraft.

golden eel

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
3/4 oz Carpano Antica (1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth)
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört

Build in an ice-filled old fashioned glass, stir, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I had an idea for a Malört cocktail, but instead of making it then, I uncovered in my research the 2009 article with recipes in The Chicago Reader that I had made drinks from before. The novel one that I selected this time was the Golden Eel crafted by Paul McGee at the Whistler; he described how he created it for bar regulars "Howard" and "Biff", and "now every time they come in, that's pretty much all they drink." With the Negroni and Bijou having a similar format, I was curious to try the Golden Eel (that name reminded me of the Nude Eel which has some overlap in flavors). In the glass, the Golden Eel donated an orange, herbal, and cherry nose. Next, grape and cherry notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow showcased gin and bitter red fruit flavors.

exit club cocktail

1 1/2 oz Dry Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I wondered what a Martini riff would be like with malört as a modifier? Would it be elegant as well as tasty? Therefore, I started with the Poet's Dream and besides swapping the liqueurs, I exchanged the dry vermouth for a split of Cocchi Americano and blanc vermouth since I figured that a little extra sweetness would round out the edges here and I recalled how well malört paired with Lillet in the Destreza. For a name, I paid tribute to a punk club in Chicago (given the Chicago-loved herbal liqueur) called Exit where I had been taken years ago.
The Exit Club Cocktail presented orange and piny juniper aromas leading into wormwood notes on the nose. Next, a light apricot and peach sip slid into juniper and coriander leading into surly wormwood on the swallow with an orange finish. Overall, it was elegant with the malört working akin to the Fernet in the Hanky Panky.

swedish paralysis

1 1/2 oz Malört (Jeppson's Malort)
1 1/2 oz Orange Juice
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Whip shake, pour into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an edible flower. After returning home from work two Tuesdays ago, I decided to riff on a drink instead of finding a new recipe at that hour. Actually, I first had opened up the Smuggler's Cove book in hopes of quickly finding a novel recipe and had spotted their Norwegian Paralysis that I had made prior. Their riff was an aquavit variation on the okelehao-based Polynesian Paralysis, and I had recently tinkered with an Italian amari direction in the Dolce Far Niente. To change things up, I opted for Malört as the spirit and switched the demerara syrup to cinnamon to better complement the herbal liqueur, and I dubbed this one the Swedish Paralysis. Once prepared, the Swedish Paralysis tingled the nose with pineapple, nutty, and cinnamon aromas underneath the floral notes. Next, a creamy orange and lemon sip led into the malört's wormwood-driven botanicals, the orgeat's nutty, and the syrup's cinnamon flavors with a pineapple and cinnamon finish. I competed with a slight variation on this recipe on 9/23/25 for the Boston Malört competition at Vera's in Somerville and placed 3rd! I increased the Malört to 2 oz (the original recipe was created with the rougher Florida liqueur), added in 5 drops of 20% saline, used toasted pepita orgeat instead of almond orgeat (I had no clue if any of the judges were allergic to nuts), and switched the garnish to a pineapple wedge, mint sprig, and smoldering cinnamon stick.

bjorn supremacy

1 1/2 oz Overproof Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1/2 oz Baska Snaps Malort (Jeppson's)
1/2 oz Briottet Crème de Peche
2 dash Boker's Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Shake (stir) with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

For a nightcap two Thursdays ago, I delved into Brad Parsons' Amaro book for a recipe. There, I spotted the Bjorn Supremacy by Dennis Gobis of Austin's Roosevelt Room. Dennis described how the name based off of a Robert Ludlum play "seemed fitting for a cocktail accented with a Scandinavian spirit." I was curious to see how malört would play off of peach flavors since it did quite well with apricot ones in the Cutman and Lightning Swords of Death.
The Bjorn Supremacy welcomed the senses with a rye, peach, and clove aroma. Next, malt with a hint of fruit on the sip transitioned to rye, peach, and wormwood-driven herbal flavors on the swallow with a clove, allspice, and celery-like finish.

northern lights

2 oz Malört (Jeppson's) (*)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs.
(*) Perhaps 1 oz each of Malort and Bourbon would work well here too for a slightly less bitter-herbal balance.

After seeing the recipes for the Port Light and Starboard Light in Trader Vic when I made the Pinky Pincher, I still had the structure in my head two days later. For some reason, I decided that instead of whisk(e)y, what if I were to replace the spirit with Malort? I might have made the connection when I misremembered making a riff of Nick Jarrett's Prizefighter that included Malort and passion fruit; in the end, those were two different drinks: the Cutman and the Cornerman, respectively. For a name, I was considering the Nordic Light akin to the Nordic Toddy, but the Northern Lights seemed rather nautical especially for boats a bit further north.
The Northern Lights welcomed the nose with mint and passion fruit aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and honey sip transitioned into a bitter herbal and passion fruit swallow. Overall, the egg white and honey worked to mollify the Malort's bitterness and the passion fruit seemed to modulate it into something a bit more fruity and pleasant.