Jeppson's Malort Schnapps

Jeppson€™s Malört is Chicago€™s local beskbrännvin €” a style of bitter, wormwood-based, Swedish schnapps. First developed during medieval times for its supposed medicinal benefits, it€™s traditionally associated with the farms of SkÃ¥ne, in Sweden, where wormwood grows wild. In the early 1900s, it was the most ubiquitous drink in Sweden and accompanied the nearly 1 million Swedes who immigrated to the U.S. during that period. One of those immigrants was a man from Ystad, SkÃ¥ne named Carl Jeppson. During Prohibition, Mr. Jeppson was into the business of producing legal €œmedicinal alcohol,€ and sold his brand of besk bar-to-bar. After repeal, Malört was a staple of every Swedish bar on Clark St and by that time he had sold his recipe to Bielzoff Products Co., a Chicago distillery. George Brode, Bielzoff owner, helped push Jeppson€™s Malört beyond its Swedish origins by introducing it to Chicago€™s Polish population, who in turn introduced it to the rest of Chicago. Through the decades, Jeppson€™s Malört has been thought of as a rite of passage and even a purported hangover cure. But we think it is more than that €” Jeppson€™s Malört is a drink that has helped define the Chicago bar experience. So, join us for a shot, or a cocktail! As George Brode used to say- €œYou may not like the first, but after the second shot, you€™ll be ours forever!€ SkÃ¥l!