The bitter wormwood-based digestif and Chicago institution that warns drinkers “Do Not Enjoy. Responsibly.” is now available in Utah liquor stores.
Jeppson’s Malört announced its entrance into the Beehive State on Thursday. Its Instagram post, featuring a bottle in Utah-centric locations — alongside a skier, then beneath Delicate Arch — was received with fanfare.
“😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 dreams do come true," one commenter wrote.
Another wrote, “Now I’m going to have to find another justification for all my trips to the Midwest :-).”
The liquor was described by The New York Times as “a little like sucking dandelion juice through a straw made of car tires,” but “also kind of good,” albeit “[i]ntensely bitter.”
(Marissa Alper | The New York Times) Patrons take shots of Malört at Honore Club in Brooklyn, Nov. 11, 2024. Long treated as a way to prove yourself in the Midwest, Malört is also served at Honore Club in Brooklyn as part of the Hard Sell, a cocktail.
(Bryan Tarnowski | The New York Times) A patron wears an "I Malörted" sticker at Pepp's Pub in New Orleans, Nov. 10, 2024. CH Distillery, which owns Malört, distributed the stickers as part of a voter turnout campaign.
For most of its existence, Malört was available only in Illinois, the Times reported, but it has built a following and in the last decade spread its distribution to most states.
In Utah, the drink that’s been “weeding out the weak since 1933″ is only available in 12-bottle cases through special order, according to Michelle Schmitt, with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services.
To place a special order, visit the DABS website at abs.utah.gov/shop-products/special-orders. Order are typically delivered to a customer’s selected liquor store within 45 days, and customers have 14 business days to pick up the order once it arrives.
Malört is also available by-the-drink at Bar X in Salt Lake City, according to the digestif‘s website.